A group of 23 House Republicans is demanding the appointment of a special counsel to take over the Justice Department’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.
“For the first time in history, a presumptive nominee for president with intimate ties to the administration is under active investigation by the DOJ and FBI,” states the letter, which was spearheaded by Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., and addressed to Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Monday.
In October, a group of lawmakers similarly demanded the appointment of a special counsel to take over the investigation. However, citing “key factors that have unequivocally thrust this investigation into the realm of the extraordinary,” lawmakers said the need for a special prosecutor was especially striking today.
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Among those factors, the letter noted, was the fact that President Obama endorsed Clinton’s presidential campaign, despite the State Department’s inspector general determining that Clinton had engaged in wrongdoing through her use of a private server as secretary of state.
“Regardless of the DOJ’s final determination with respect to this extraordinary case, many Americans will be critical of the investigation’s outcome,” the letter adds. “By appointing an independent third party as the special counsel, the department would mitigate criticism and protect the public’s trust in our law enforcement institutions.
“The attorney general … is responsible for acting always in the public’s best interest,” lawmakers said. “As such, it is imperative that you acknowledge the singularity of the circumstances, follow the very standard set-forth by the DOJ, and appoint a special counsel.”
by Dave Brown
