Goodlatte Calls on Director Comey to Answer Questions Clouding the Clinton Investigation

Washington, D.C. – House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) today called on FBI Director James Comey to answer many questions raised by his vague letter to congressional committees that he is not altering the conclusion he previously reached regarding Secretary Clinton’s mishandling of classified information. In his letter to Director Comey, Chairman Goodlatte asks if the FBI found any classified emails in its review of reportedly 650,000 emails in connection to the investigation of Anthony Weiner, if the FBI found any emails pertinent to the Clinton investigation that were not previously disclosed by Secretary Clinton or her associates, and whether the FBI intends to disclose the new emails it reviewed to Congress. “Our laws must be fairly and evenly enforced, regardless of power or position,” writes Chairman Goodlatte.  “However, today, there is a perception among the American people that the FBI and DOJ’s actions during the Clinton investigation have tarnished their time-honored reputations for fair and equal application of the law.  Transparency and responsiveness to these questions can help renew the public’s faith that future decisions concerning Secretary Clinton, or any other public official, are not governed by politics, but instead, are grounded in law and pursued based on the facts.”  Below is the text of Chairman Goodlatte’s letter and the signed copy can be found here.

November 7, 2016 The Honorable James B. Comey Director Federal Bureau of Investigation U.S. Department of Justice Washington, D.C.  20535 Dear Director Comey: Yesterday, you informed Congress that you are not altering the conclusion you previously reached regarding Secretary Clinton’s mishandling of classified information. I appreciate the hard work that FBI personnel undoubtedly put in over the last week to review a reported 650,000 new emails found in connection with your investigation into former Congressman Anthony Weiner.  However, notwithstanding the efforts of the men and women of the FBI, your letter fails to answer many questions regarding the nature of your expedited review of the hundreds of thousands of emails that “appear[ed] to be pertinent to the investigation.”  Once again, we write to demand responses to unanswered questions.  Please respond to these questions no later than November 15, 2016.

1. Did the FBI find any classified emails in its review of reportedly 650,000 emails in connection with the investigation of Clinton aide Huma Abedin’s estranged husband, Anthony Weiner?
2. Did the FBI find any emails – classified or unclassified – pertinent to the Clinton email mishandling investigation that had not been previously disclosed by Secretary Clinton or anyone else connected in any way to Secretary Clinton?
3. How many unique emails did you find that were not previously obtained by the FBI?
   1. Regarding any unique emails, did you consult with other members of the intelligence community to verify the classification level of the recently-discovered emails? In the past, this process has taken months. If you did not, how did you verify the classification level of those documents?
4. Does the FBI plan to release the emails it reviewed, redacted or otherwise, to Congressional oversight committees?
   1. It was reported today that DOJ, in a court filing, said it could take up to five years to release the Weiner emails.  Please explain how the FBI can decide that none of the emails contain prosecutable conduct in little over a week, and yet DOJ can still delay the release of the emails by half a decade?
5. Did you consult with Attorney General Lynch prior to informing Congress that you would once again not recommend prosecution of Secretary Clinton? If not, who was the highest-ranking Department of Justice official you spoke with prior to sending your letter to Congress?

I believe it is incumbent upon the FBI to promptly provide this information to help rehabilitate its reputation as an impartial, apolitical investigative agency.  It is often said that our country’s greatness is due in part to it having ‘a government of laws and not of men.’  That means our laws must be fairly and evenly enforced, regardless of power or position.  However, today, there is a perception among the American people that the FBI and DOJ’s actions during the Clinton investigation have tarnished their time-honored reputations for fair and equal application of the law.  Transparency and responsiveness to these questions can help renew the public’s faith that future decisions concerning Secretary Clinton, or any other public official, are not governed by politics, but instead, are grounded in law and pursued based on the facts. Thank you for your attention to this important matter. Sincerely, BOB GOODLATTE