Collins: Director Comey Can’t Justify His Decision

July 7, 2016

Congressman Collins to FBI Director: “Do Your Job”

Washington, D.C. – Today, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on his decision to recommend that no charges be brought against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for storing classified information on her unsecured home email server. Congressman Collins, who served on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform during his first term in Congress, released the following statement on Director Comey’s testimony:

“On Tuesday, when Director Comey announced his decision to not prosecute Secretary Clinton, he said that “No reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case.” To that, I would respond, “That’s not your job.” Despite the blatant negligence uncovered during the investigation, the FBI appeared to cave to political pressure. Director Comey maintains that Secretary Clinton did not “intend” to break the rules regarding classified information during her time as Secretary of State, but there is an overwhelming body of classified and unclassified evidence, which should now be turned over to Congress for review. Her utter carelessness made her email a target for hackers, and led to serious security breaches, the extent of which we may never know. She jeopardized our national security, simply because it was more convenient for her.”

“Because she is one of the powerful political elite, she sincerely believed she could make her own rules. This was not an innocent mistake, it was a conscious decision to ignore established security protocols. No amount of explanation today can justify the FBI’s obvious misstep, and I continue to call for Director Comey to reverse his decision and for the Department of Justice to reopen the case against Secretary Clinton.”