Comey Drafted Statement Ending Clinton Email Investigation Months Before Interviewing Her, FBI Confirms
< < Go Back
In documents it released on Monday, the FBI confirmed that former FBI Director James Comey drafted a statement about the conclusion of the Hillary Clinton email investigation months before interviewing Clinton.
The records show that on May 2, 2016, Comey emailed Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, general counsel James Baker and chief of staff and senior counselor James Rybicki. The subject of the email was “midyear exam,” and though the email says its contents are unclassified, the body of the email is redacted in the release.
On Monday, the bureau also released a response to the May 2 email.
The FBI titled the release “Drafts of Director Comey’s July 5, 2016 Statement Regarding Email Server Investigation.”
The release confirms information that Senator Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Lindsey Graham, a member of that committee, disclosed in a letter to new FBI Director Christopher Wray in August.
FBI and Justice Department analysts are divided on whether Comey violated rules or broke with tradition by drafting the statement prior to interviewing Clinton and other witnesses. “To me, this is so far out of bounds it’s not even in the stadium,” Chris Swecker, …, previously told Newsweek. “That is just not how things operate…. It’s built in our DNA not to prejudge investigations, particularly from the top.”
More From Newsweek:
Rss Feed