The ongoing impact of FBI Director James Comey's October letter about the Clinton investigation has developed another ripple.
The Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General said on Jan. 12 that it would review "allegations regarding certain actions by the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation" centering on Comey's Oct. 28 and Nov. 6 letters to Congress about the Clinton email investigation.
Comey famously informed Congress Oct. 28 that the FBI was reopening its investigation into whether Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton shared classified information on a private server after discovering thousands of emails between the former secretary of state and her aide, Huma Abedin, from a computer shared with Abedin's estranged husband, former Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-NY.
Comey had previously cleared Clinton of wrongdoing on July 5 before deciding to reopen the case 11 days before the election.
Deputy Inspector General Robert P. Storch said in a statement that the OIG would examine the following:
- Allegations that DOJ or FBI policies or procedures were not followed in connection with, or in actions leading up to or related to, the FBI Director’s public announcement on July 5, and the Director’s letters to Congress on Oct. 28 and Nov. 6, and that certain underlying investigative decisions were based on improper considerations
- Allegations that the FBI Deputy Director should have been recused from participating in certain investigative matters
- Allegations that the Department’s Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs improperly disclosed non-public information to the Clinton campaign and/or should have been recused from participating in certain matters
- Allegations that Department and FBI employees improperly disclosed non-public information
- Allegations that decisions regarding the timing of the FBI’s release of certain Freedom of Information Act documents on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, and the use of a Twitter account to publicize same, were influenced by improper considerations.
Storch said that the review would not question the FBI and DOJ’s investigative decisions, but could expand if other issues arise as a result of the investigation.
Following her surprise loss in the in the 2016 presidential election, Clinton blamed Comey’s letter for shifting political support toward eventual President-elect Donald Trump, though Comey later cleared her of any wrongdoing in a Nov. 6 letter.
