Towards the end of 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation took the unusual step of formally not recommending charges against Hillary Clinton in their ongoing investigation of her use of a private email server.
After much public outcry over the FBI’s unusual actions, watchdogs from the Department of Justice have announced they will examine whether or not “improper considerations” impacted the FBI’s investigation of Hillary’s emails, “including whether ties between department officials and Clinton’s camp precluded an objective assessment of her use of a private email system.”
#BREAKING: Justice Department watchdog opens review of James Comey’s @HillaryClinton email investigation https://t.co/ckA8ZTSBwE pic.twitter.com/JD5pEYVk92
— POLITICO (@politico) January 12, 2017
From The Washington Examiner:
Specifically, the Inspector general will look at whether FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe should have recused himself from Clinton-related matters given that his wife, Jill McCabe, received significant campaign contributions from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Clinton ally, during her unsuccessful bid for state senate.
They will also examine whether Clinton perhaps should have been charged for putting classified information at risk, whether the Department’s Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs “improperly disclosed non-public information to the Clinton campaign,” and whether the “underlying investigative decisions” surrounding the email case were approached with integrity.
Under normal circumstances, the FBI would present its findings to the Department of Justice without providing a recommendation for charges, but FBI Director James Comey took the unusual step of making a ruling on the agency’s investigation of Clinton’s emails.
While President-elect Donald J. Trump has suggested that his administration would not aggressively pursue charges against Mrs. Clinton, members of Congress have insisted that their investigations into Clinton’s email server will continue until they reach a conclusion on whether or not she violated federal law for using a private email server during her tenure at the State Department.
Does the Justice Department’s watchdog’s decision to open review of the FBI’s investigation suggest that Hillary Clinton may be finally charged for her crimes? Share your thoughts below!