On Thursday, FBI director James Comey testified before Congress about the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email use while secretary of state, following the FBI’s decision not to recommend criminal charges.
During Republican congressman Trey Gowdy’s time questioning Comey, the congressman asked, “Secretary Clinton said she never sent or received classified information over her private e-mail. Was that true?”
Comey replied, “Our investigation found that there was classified information sent—”
Gowdy interrupted, “so it was not true?” and then requested Comey respond with a shorter answer, “so you and I are not here quite as long.”
He then repeated, “Secretary Clinton said there was nothing marked classified on her emails either sent or received. Is that true?”
“That’s not true, replied Comey. “There were a small number of portion markings on I think three of the documents.”
Gowdy also asked Comey questions about the accuracy of Clinton’s claims that she did not email classified material, that she used just one device, that all work-related e-mails were turned over to the State Department, that she didn’t delete emails, and that her lawyers read each of her emails individually. Comey said all of these claims by Clinton were untrue, adding, “we found thousands [of emails] that were not returned.”
After further questions, Gowdy ended by saying, “this is really important.”
“You mentioned there’s no precedent for criminal prosecution. My fear is, there still isn’t. There’s nothing to keep a future secretary of state or president from this exact same email scheme. Or their staff. And my real fear is this—it’s what the chairman touched upon: This double-track justice system that is rightly or wrongly perceived in this country. That if you are a private in the army and you email yourself classified information, you will be kicked out. But if you’re Hillary Clinton, and you seek a promotion to commander in chief, you will not be. So what I hope you can do today is help the ‘reasonable person’ you made reference to—the reasonable person understand why she appears to be treated differently than the rest of us would be.”
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