begin quote from:
WASHINGTON
(AP) — FBI Director James Comey's testimony that the bureau has been
quietly investigating possible links between associates of President
Donald Trump and Russian officials …
FBI director blasted by Democrats after probe revelation
FBI
Director James Comey and National Security Agency Director Michael
Rogers, right, prepare to testify on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday,
March 20, 2017, before the House Intelligence Committee hearing on
allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential
election. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
WASHINGTON
(AP) — FBI Director James Comey's testimony that the bureau has been
quietly investigating possible links between associates of President
Donald Trump and Russian officials since the summer enraged Democrats
who already blamed him for rattling the 2016 campaign's closing days.
For
the first time, Comey confirmed that the FBI had opened a probe into
the Trump campaign in July, the same month he called an unusual news
conference to announce the agency had finished its investigation into
whether Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information — and three
months before he scrambled the White House race a second time by
announcing that the Clinton probe was continuing, just days before the
election.
The
revelation drew the ire of Clinton supporters who called out what they
said looked like a double-standard and a breach of bureau norms that
caused their nominee's surprising defeat.
Clinton's
former press secretary, Brian Fallon, bitterly noted that "Comey at
least waited until after the election to confirm there was an
investigation related to Trump's campaign."
"In
Hillary Clinton's case, the FBI confirmed the fact of an investigation
into her emails during the heart of the campaign, creating a damaging
cloud even though the probe never produced charges of any kind," Fallon
said in an email Monday. "It is fair to ask why Jim Comey confirmed one
investigation prior to the election, but not the other."
The
FBI and Justice Department do not ordinarily discuss open
investigations. But Comey said Monday that he has been authorized to do
so, given the extreme public interest in the Trump-Russia case.
"As
you know, our practice is not to confirm the existence of ongoing
investigations, especially those investigations that involve classified
matters, but in unusual circumstances where it is in the public
interest, it may be appropriate to do so as Justice Department policies
recognize. This is one of those circumstances," Comey told the House
intelligence committee.
Comey's
televised news conference in July to discuss the results of the
bureau's investigation into Clinton's email use came only after the FBI
was recommending that it be closed without criminal charges. It was a
rare display of openness; normally the FBI would privately relay that
information to Justice Department prosecutors. Comey said intense public
interest in the case warranted the rare candor.
Later,
Comey testified about the case before Congress, promising to come
forward if investigators uncovered new information that caused them to
reopen their probe into Clinton's emails. Given that testimony under
oath, Comey said he felt obligated to tell Congress just weeks before
the election that new emails had prompted investigators to take another
look at whether classified information had been mishandled.
Comey
sent the October 28 letter to Congress over the warnings of Justice
Department officials that doing so would be inconsistent with department
policy meant to avoid the appearance of prosecutorial interference or
meddling in elections.
Investigators
found emails on the laptop of Anthony Weiner, the estranged husband of
top Clinton aide Huma Abedin. In a second letter dated November 5, Comey
said the new material did not change the FBI's decision to not
recommend charges against Clinton — but Democrats believe that re-airing
the scandal days before most voters went to the polling booths hurt
their candidate.
"Doing
some jobs right requires being in the news every day, becoming a
household name, enraging everyone," tweeted longtime Clinton aide
Philippe Reines on Monday. "FBI Director isn't one of them."
The
congressional hearings were the most extensive public accounting of a
matter that has dogged the Trump administration for its first two month.
The president has repeatedly denied any ties to Russia though several
aides have come under scrutiny and his first national security adviser,
Michael Flynn, resigned after initially failing to provide full
disclosure about his contacts with the Russian ambassador to the United
States.
Comey
said Monday that Russia "hates" Clinton and wanted her to lose the
election; he added that officials believe both political parties were
hacked in 2016, but only Democratic emails were released.
Stephen
Gillers, a professor at New York University School of Law who
specializes in legal ethics, said Comey would have been justified in
simply announcing that the bureau's Clinton email probe was closed,
rather than going further to criticize her work habits as sloppy.
"He
should not have talked about Hillary and he should not have talked
about the Russia connection. He has no public persona," Gillers said.
"It's just not a cop's job to do that. A prosecutor might in very rare
circumstances comment about certain aspects of an ongoing investigation,
but he's not a prosecutor."
___
Lemire reported from New York.
___
Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire and Gurman at http://twitter.com/@sgurman
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