Latest news with #JamesComey
Wall Street Journal
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Wall Street Journal
The Real Russiagate Story
One of the great moments in TV history came on April 26, 2018, when Fox News's Bret Baier asked former FBI chief James Comey if he'd seen Obama administration intelligence colleagues John Brennan and James Clapper since leaving office. After a slight prevarication, Mr. Comey said he'd dined with them two nights before. You might ask: Why would seasoned professionals like these wed themselves to a transparent fraud like the Steele dossier, knowing it must quickly unravel given that Trump allies controlled the federal resources to examine its provenance?
New York Times
12 hours ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump's Accusations Against Obama Are ‘Ridiculous' and ‘Weak,' Spokesman Says
A spokesman for former President Barack Obama issued on Tuesday a rare rebuke of President Trump, calling Mr. Trump's pledge to use the Justice Department to go after his predecessor for treason 'ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction.' Mr. Trump, facing criticism over his administration's handling of the files related to the accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, worked to deflect reporters' questions Tuesday, accusing Mr. Obama of betraying his country and declaring: 'It's time to go after people.' A spokesman for Mr. Obama condemned Mr. Trump's comments as 'bizarre allegations.' During an extended rant at the White House on Tuesday, Mr. Trump rattled off a list of enemies he wanted his Justice Department to target, including his former F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, and James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, as well as former President Joseph R. Biden Jr. (There are already F.B.I. inquiries into some targets of Mr. Trump, including Mr. Comey and Mr. Clapper.) 'It would be President Obama,' Mr. Trump said. 'He started it, and Biden was there with him, and Comey was there, and Clapper, the whole group was there.' Mr. Trump, speaking of Mr. Obama, added: 'He's guilty. This was treason. This was every word you can think of.' Mr. Trump was referring to a report issued on Friday from Tulsi Gabbard, his director of national intelligence, that attempted to undermine the eight-year-old assessment that Russia favored his election in 2016. Ms. Gabbard's report, which claimed that top Obama administration officials carried out a 'treasonous conspiracy' against Mr. Trump, contradicted a lengthy study by the Senate Intelligence Committee — and was signed by every Republican member of the committee, including Marco Rubio, now the secretary of state. In fact, the Obama administration never contended that the Russians had manipulated votes; instead, his administration, and the Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Intelligence Committee, concluded that Russia mounted a major effort to influence voters. 'Out of respect for the office of the presidency, our office does not normally dignify the constant nonsense and misinformation flowing out of this White House with a response,' Patrick Rodenbush, a spokesman for Mr. Obama, said in a statement in response to Mr. Trump's claims. 'But these claims are outrageous enough to merit one.' Mr. Rodenbush continued: 'These bizarre allegations are ridiculous and a weak attempt at distraction. Nothing in the document issued last week undercuts the widely accepted conclusion that Russia worked to influence the 2016 presidential election but did not successfully manipulate any votes.'
Fox News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
FBI botched investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails, declassified documents allege
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley released declassified documents related to the FBI's investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's private email server when she served in the federal government, revealing the FBI reportedly "failed to fully investigate" the matter. "This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI's investigation of former Secretary Clinton's email usage and mishandling of highly classified information," Grassley said in a Monday press release. "Under Comey's leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor," he continued. "The Comey FBI's negligent approach and perhaps intentional lack of effort in the Clinton investigation is a stark contrast to its full-throated investigation of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, which was based on the uncorroborated and now discredited Steele dossier. Comey's decision-making process smacks of political infection." Clinton, who served as former President Barack Obama's secretary of state from 2009 to 2013, was investigated by the FBI over claims she improperly stored or transmitted classified materials on a private email server. The FBI advised the Department of Justice in 2016, ahead of that year's massive election that pitted Clinton against future President Donald Trump, that Clinton should not face prosecution over the matter. "Although there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case," then-FBI director James Comey said in a press release. "Prosecutors necessarily weigh a number of factors before bringing charges. There are obvious considerations, like the strength of the evidence, especially regarding intent. Responsible decisions also consider the context of a person's actions, and how similar situations have been handled in the past." Grassley specifically released declassified materials from the "Clinton annex," which is an appendix to the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General's 2018 report that reviewed the DOJ and FBI's handling of the Clinton investigation. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and other Trump administration leaders at other agencies, declassified the materials and delivered them to Grassley at his request, his press release reported. The documents claim that then-FBI Director Comey, as well as other FBI leaders, obtained thumb drives related to their investigation into Clinton, but that the agency failed "to perform additional, targeted searches of the drives," according to Grassley's office. The thumb drives reportedly were never reviewed during the investigation, but "contained highly sensitive information exfiltrated from U.S. government agencies, including the Department of State, as well as then-President Barack Obama's emails and, potentially, congressional information." The FBI also obtained intelligence that alleged communications between Florida Democrat Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who served as Democratic National Committee chair until July 2016 when she resigned, and individuals who worked for the Soros Open Society Foundations, which was founded by left-wing billionaire donor George Soros. "The intelligence reports alleged that the Obama administration took efforts to scuttle the investigation into Clinton and protect her candidacy," Grassley's release reported, but that the FBI at the time did "not make serious investigative efforts" into the intelligence reports. Fox News Digital reached out to Clinton's office, Wasserman Schultz's office, the Soros Open Society Foundations and the Kettering Foundation, where Comey currently works as a senior fellow, for comment on Grassley's release, but did not immediately receive replies. "I warned years ago that the Clinton investigation failed to hit the mark, and I'm grateful the American people can finally see the facts for themselves," Grassley said in the press release. "After nearly a decade in the shadows, this information is now coming to light thanks to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel's dedicated efforts to fulfill my congressional request. "I appreciate their ongoing commitment to transparency and strongly urge them to continue to fully review this matter, including its national security impact," he said. Grassley's release follows Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard's bombshell claims that Obama-era officials reportedly "manufactured and politicized intelligence" to create the narrative that Russia was attempting to influence the 2016 presidential election. Gabbard released unclassified documents Friday that reportedly show "overwhelming evidence" that then-President Obama and his national security team laid the groundwork for what would be the yearslong Trump-Russia collusion probe after Trump's election win against Clinton in 2016. "Their goal was to usurp President Trump and subvert the will of the American people," Gabbard had posted to X on Friday regarding the criminal referral. "No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The integrity of our democratic republic depends on it. We are turning over all documents to the DOJ for criminal referral." Fox News confirmed earlier Monday that the DOJ received Gabbard's criminal referral related to the matter but did not share additional comment.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Report finds FBI probe into Hillary Clinton's emails was incomplete
A newly unveiled Department of Justice internal investigation charges that the FBI sloppily investigated Hillary Clinton's 2016 email server scandal, resulting in an incomplete probe. The politically devastating investigation into the then-presumed Democratic presidential nominee was ended in 2016 after then-FBI Director James Comey announced that his agency would not recommend charges for Clinton after she used a personal server to store government emails - an infraction many Republicans argued was a crime. But an internal review of the FBI's investigation that finished in 2018 by the DOJ's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that not every stone was unturned. That 35-page addendum, published on Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee, says the FBI failed to complete a 'thorough and complete investigation' after the OIG uncovered a thumb drive full of government emails that was never investigated by Comey. It does not specify how many of Clinton's emails were left untouched. 'This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI's investigation of former Secretary Clinton's email usage and mishandling of highly classified information,' Republican Senator Chuck Grassley said in a statement. 'Under Comey's leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor,' the statement continued. Comey's investigation primarily focused on approximately 30,000 emails Clinton sent or received while serving as secretary of state from 2009 - 2013. The probe uncovered 'top secret' files stored on Clinton's personal server, indicating she may have mishandled classified documents. The investigation, which also examined if foreign adversaries had access to the files, determined that though Clinton was 'extremely careless' in her handling of sensitive materials, it did not surmount to a violation of the law. The original investigation examined numerous devices and tens of thousands of emails related to Clinton and her aides. But there was also a realization that some devices had been destroyed or were inaccessible, hindering the breadth of the inquiry. The Clinton emails have been scrutinized extensively since 2016, with multiple reviews by the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General (OIG) and congressional committees. The OIG has criticized aspects of FBI leadership and found mistakes were made, but concluded the investigation was not driven by political bias and that 'no prosecutable evidence' was uncovered against Clinton. Comey noted in July 2016 that 'no reasonable prosecutor' would push a case based on the FBI's findings, but the scrutiny of Clinton's emails still cost her politically as she went on to lose the election to Donald Trump . The 92-year-old Grassley thanked FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi for helping the Judiciary Committee unseal the previously classified 2018 OIG report. The newly unclassified document is an appendix to the OIG's publicly disclosed June 2018 report into the Clinton email investigation. Dubbed the 'Clinton annex' by Grassley's office, the addendum came just a month after the initial report was filed, in July 2018. However, the file claiming the report was incomplete was never publicly reported, remaining classified until this week. Grassley, whose committee oversees the two agencies, has been conducting oversight of the Clinton probe for nearly a decade since 2016. He first petitioned the FBI to release the OIG's 'Clinton annex' in 2020. The annex says the overlooked thumb drive contained very sensitive information taken from the State Department, including some emails from President Barack Obama at the time. Though a drafted FBI memorandum recommended that the agency investigate the thumb drives, they were never reviewed as a part of the Clinton investigation, the annex states. The drafted memorandum stated that the thumb drives were critical to a 'thorough and complete investigation,' but that the FBI never submitted this request In addition to not investigating the thumb drive, the FBI also obtained intelligence that 'the Obama administration took efforts to scuttle the investigation into Clinton and protect her candidacy,' Grassley's office claims. The newly unveiled 'Clinton annex' shows Comey and others at the FBI did not make efforts to fully investigate those intelligence reports, the Republican alleges. The FBI's unwillingness to release the bombshell document stands in opposition to its eagerness to investigate Trump for alleged ties to Russia during the same timespan, the Iowa Republican says. 'Comey's decision-making process smacks of political infection,' Grassley contended. Attorney General Bondi celebrated Grassley's yearslong work on the Clinton investigation on Monday. 'Today, the Department of Justice honored Chairman Grassley's request to release information relating to former-FBI Director James Comey's failed investigation into Hillary Clinton's mishandling of highly classified information during her tenure as Secretary of State,' she said in a statement. 'I commend Chairman Grassley for his unwavering, years-long commitment to exposing the truth and holding those who seek to conceal it accountable.'
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Bombshell report finds the FBI Hillary Clinton email server investigation was 'sloppily done and incomplete'
A newly unveiled Department of Justice internal investigation charges that the FBI sloppily investigated Hillary Clinton 's 2016 email server scandal, resulting in an incomplete probe. The politically devastating investigation into the then-presumed Democratic presidential nominee was ended in 2016 after then-FBI Director James Comey announced that his agency would not recommend charges for Clinton after she used a personal server to store government emails - an infraction many Republicans argued was a crime. But an internal review of the FBI's investigation that finished in 2018 by the DOJ's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) found that not every stone was unturned. That 35-page addendum, published on Monday by the Senate Judiciary Committee, says the FBI failed to complete a 'thorough and complete investigation' after the OIG uncovered a thumb drive full of government emails that was never investigated by Comey. It does not specify how many of Clinton's emails were left untouched. 'This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI's investigation of former Secretary Clinton's email usage and mishandling of highly classified information,' Grassley said in a statement. 'Under Comey's leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor,' the statement continued. Comey's investigation primarily focused on approximately 30,000 emails Clinton sent or received while serving as secretary of state from 2009 - 2013. The probe uncovered 'top secret' files stored on Clinton's personal server, indicating she may have mishandled classified documents. The investigation, which also examined if foreign adversaries had access to the files, determined that though Clinton was 'extremely careless' in her handling of sensitive materials, it did not surmount to a violation of the law. The original investigation examined numerous devices and tens of thousands of emails related to Clinton and her aides. But there was also a realization that some devices had been destroyed or were inaccessible, hindering the breadth of the inquiry. The Clinton emails have been scrutinized extensively since 2016, with multiple reviews by the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General (OIG) and congressional committees. The OIG has criticized aspects of FBI leadership and found mistakes were made, but concluded the investigation was not driven by political bias and that 'no prosecutable evidence' was uncovered against Clinton Comey noted in July 2016 that 'no reasonable prosecutor' would push a case based on the FBI's findings, but the scrutiny of Clinton's emails still cost her politically as she went on to lose the election to Donald Trump. The 92-year-old Grassley thanked FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi for helping the Judiciary Committee unseal the previously classified 2018 OIG report. The newly unclassified document is an appendix to the OIG's publicly disclosed June 2018 report into the Clinton email investigation. Dubbed the 'Clinton annex' by Grassley's office, the addendum came just a month after the initial report was filed, in July 2018. However, the file claiming the report was incomplete was never publicly reported, remaining classified until this week. Grassley, whose committee oversees the two agencies, has been conducting oversight of the Clinton probe for nearly a decade since 2016. He first petitioned the FBI to release the OIG's 'Clinton annex' in 2020. The annex says the overlooked thumb drive contained very sensitive information taken from the State Department, including some emails from President Barack Obama at the time. Though a drafted FBI memorandum recommended that the agency investigate the thumb drives, they were never reviewed as a part of the Clinton investigation, the annex states. The drafted memorandum stated that the thumb drives were critical to a 'thorough and complete investigation,' but that the FBI never submitted this request In addition to not investigating the thumb drive, the FBI also obtained intelligence that 'the Obama administration took efforts to scuttle the investigation into Clinton and protect her candidacy,' Grassley's office claims. The newly unveiled 'Clinton annex' shows Comey and others at the FBI did not make efforts to fully investigate those intelligence reports, the Republican alleges. The FBI's unwillingness to release the bombshell document stands in opposition to its eagerness to investigate Trump for alleged ties to Russia during the same timespan, the Iowa Republican says.
