FBI Director James Comey said he feels pressure to make sure that the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email system is handled properly.
“I remain close to that investigation to ensure that it’s done well and has the resources it needs,” Comey told reporters Wednesday at FBI headquarters in Washington.
He wouldn’t commit to issuing a public report on the investigation when it’s over, a prospect that would leave the inquiry’s findings in doubt unless it results in charges against the former secretary of state or her aides.
Asked if Clinton is receiving special treatment, Comey said there’s “no special set of rules for anybody.”
Brian Fallon, a spokesman for Clinton’s Democratic presidential campaign, told MSNBC on Wednesday that she hasn’t received a request to meet with investigators. Several of her aides have been interviewed, according to reports by news organizations including CNN and the Washington Post. Comey declined to comment on what interviews have been conducted.
Clinton used a private email server in her home to send or receive about 60,000 messages from 2009 to 2013. She and her aides said about half were work-related and turned over to the State Department. They have said the rest, which they deemed personal, were destroyed. Clinton added that she used the system as a matter of convenience, but said that in hindsight she should have used a government system.
Following a review, State Department officials said more than 2,000 of the messages Clinton shared contained classified information, with top-secret information appearing in 22. However, no material was labeled as classified when the e-mails were sent or received. Clinton and her aides say that shows she didn’t do anything wrong.
“I don’t think anything inappropriate was done,” Clinton said in an April 3 interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” She added that she was “not at all worried” and that she would be “happy to answer any questions” officials have.
Republicans have said Clinton, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, broke the law by using classified information on a personal email system. Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has referred to her as “Crooked Hillary.”
(c) 2016, Bloomberg · Chris Strohm