Republicans were skeptical that former President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Lorretta Lynch declined to discuss Hillary Clinton’s email probe when they met earlier this week, with some questioning the attorney general’s judgment.
Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., said Thursday the attorney general was “making a mockery” of the investigation by choosing to meet privately with the husband of an individual whose legal fate she may ultimately determine.
“I find it hard to believe that they just discussed Bill’s grandkids because if that were the case, why would Lynch actually want to run the risk of creating the appearance of a conflict?” DeSantis told the Washington Examiner.
The Florida Republican, who has advocated for the appointment of a special prosecutor in the Clinton email case, said there are two possible conclusions to draw from the meeting: either the participants lied about what was discussed, or Lynch demonstrated “incompetence” by exposing the email probe to allegations of bias.
“If there is a declination of prosecution after the FBI has produced an actionable case, I think this meeting will absolutely add to the cloud over Hillary’s head,” DeSantis added.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said the Justice Department has “become more concerned with politics” than with fulfilling its legal obligations.
“It’s not surprising that Attorney General Lynch met with Bill Clinton, but it is troubling,” Jordan told the Examiner. “And what they discussed is of utmost interest.”
While the White House downplayed suggestions that Bill Clinton’s contact with Lynch was problematic, the meeting reignited GOP calls for the Justice Department to name an independent counsel to the case.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, doubled down on his advocacy for a special prosecutor Thursday. Cornyn has led the push for such an appointment since September.
“This incident does nothing to instill confidence in the American people that her department can fully and fairly conduct this investigation, and that’s why a special counsel is needed now more than ever,” he said in a statement.
Critics have sensed potential bias in the administration’s handling of the Clinton email probe since October, when President Obama weighed in on the investigation by suggesting in a televised interview that Clinton had done nothing wrong.
Congressional Republicans have ratcheted up the pressure on Lynch to eliminate potential conflicts of interest since Obama endorsed Clinton earlier this month, arguing the president’s support of Clinton amounted to a tacit signal that the Justice Department should put the probe to rest.
Amid a backlash Thursday over Lynch’s meeting with Bill Clinton, one conservative watchdog group lodged a formal request with the Justice Department’s inspector general for an investigation into the event.
Judicial Watch said the meeting “creates the appearance of a violation of law, ethical standards and good judgment” in the complaint it filed with the agency, echoing the concerns expressed on both sides of the aisle this week.
David Axelrod, former senior adviser to President Obama, said the meeting looked “foolish.”
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said Thursday morning during an appearance on CNN that the meeting “doesn’t send the right signal.”
David Bossie, president of conservative group Citizens United, said it was “simply not believable” that Bill Clinton and Lynch did not discuss the email case because, as he noted, their private meeting was not intended to be made public before it was exposed by a local media outlet.
The two reportedly met on Lynch’s private jet as their planes crossed paths at a Phoenix airport Monday.
The attorney general insisted she had not discussed the email probe with Bill Clinton during what she characterized as an impromptu social visit.
“There was no discussion of any matter pending for the department or any matter pending for any other body,” Lynch said.
Some Democrats jumped to the attorney general’s defense, with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid praising Lynch’s ethical standards and Sen. Chuck Schumer calling her an “honorable person.”
