But Her Emails: Top GOP Senators Using FBI to Try to Discredit Comey in Attempt to Exonerate Trump

Partisan Attempt to Help Trump by Discrediting Comey

Two top Republican Senators on Wednesday sent a lengthy letter to new FBI Director Christopher Wray in an attempt to discredit former FBI Director Jim Comey. Their problem? Comey did not recommend the Justice Dept. prosecute Hillary Clinton for her handling of State Dept. emails and for using a private email server, and – they claim – drafted a letter to that effect weeks before the investigation had concluded.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism Chairman Lindsey Graham, both Republicans, are using their positions in a wholly partisan act. No Democrats have signed on to the six-page letter.

It is an attempt to exonerate Trump for firing Comey by making it appear he was incompetent.

The letter states “it appears that in April or early May of 2016, Mr. Comey had already decided he would issue a statement exonerating Secretary Clinton.”

Grassley and Graham state that April or May “was long before FBI agents finished their work. Mr. Comey even circulated an early draft statement to select members of senior FBI leadership. The outcome of an investigation should not be prejudged while FBI agents are still hard at work trying to gather the facts.”

As former Obama U.S. Attorney Joyce Alene noted Thursday, Comey did not “exonerate” Clinton.

The senior Republican senators are making a lot of false assumptions which right now are snaking their way throughout the far right wing media machine.

Alene, a former prosecutor, also notes that it is not unusual for investigators to reach a general conclusion before the investigation is over based on a preponderance of evidence.

So, the GOP Senators are on a fishing expedition that’s really designed to just muddy the waters.

Sadly, Grassley and Graham also manage to trash the Bureau in the conclusion of their letter.

After requesting a wide range of documents, they tell the new FBI Director: “Transparency is essential to restoring the public’s trust in the FBI.” 

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