The IG Report Shows No Political Bias In FBI
FRED WERTHEIMER’S WEEKLY NOTE | JUNE 14, 2018
“It is simply Orwellian to say that the IG report, which shows that Comey broke the DOJ rules in ways that hurt Clinton and helped Trump, is evidence that Mueller’s investigation should never have been started and should now be ended.”
The Department of Justice Inspector General’s report on the performance of the FBI during the 2016 presidential election is being made public today.
The report is reportedly highly critical of former FBI Director James Comey for violating DOJ rules in the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails. This relates to Comey’s inappropriate public announcement that he was clearing Hillary Clinton in the investigation and his simultaneous attacks on Clinton’s conduct. These actions were the responsibility of DOJ officials, not the FBI.
The IG report is also reported to criticize Comey for publicly reopening the Clinton email investigation just 10 days before the presidential election. His action was a clear violation of DOJ policy, which prevents the Department from taking any such actions close to an election.
These criticisms of Comey are well justified.
But the report is expected to be misused and mischaracterized by President Trump and his supporters in Congress to argue that it was appropriate for the President to fire Comey, that there was no obstruction of justice in his doing so, and that the “witch hunt” Mueller investigation never should have begun and should now be ended.
There are three key points to remember during the likely barrage of false and misleading statements that will be coming from Trump’s twitter.
One, we know from Trump’s own statements to NBC and to Russian officials that he fired Comey to get rid of the Russia investigation, not for mishandling the Clinton email investigation. It is that obstructionist act that led to the appointment of Special Counsel Mueller.
Two, the so-called “witch hunt” has already resulted in 5 criminal convictions, indictments of 18 additional individuals and companies, and more than 100 criminal charges.
And there is no doubt more to come. The investigation is anything but baseless.
Three, the main point shown by the IG report is that Comey’s improper interference in the 2016 presidential election was harmful to Hillary Clinton. While we will never know the answer, Comey’s public reopening of the Clinton email investigation 10 days before the election may well have been decisive in electing Trump as President.
It is simply Orwellian to say that the IG report, which shows that Comey broke the DOJ rules in ways that hurt Clinton and helped Trump, is evidence that Mueller’s investigation should never have been started and should now be ended.
The investigation has produced major results and must continue until the Special Counsel completes his work.
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Fred Wertheimer is the Founder and President of Democracy 21, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works to strengthen our democracy and ensure the integrity and fairness of government decisions and elections.
