Jun 18 2018

Graham: I'm Not Buying That The Clinton Email Investigation Was On The Up And Up

Argues IG Report Shows Inherent Bias Led to Description of Clinton’s Behavior as Careless Instead of Criminal

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today questioned the Inspector General (IG) of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Michael Horowitz and the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Christopher Wray on the IG’s findings regarding conduct within DOJ and FBI leading up to the 2016 presidential election.

Specifically, Graham focused on released text messages between two FBI agents, Peter Strzok, the effective head of the Clinton email investigation, and Lisa Page.  The pair exhibited extreme bias against then-candidate Donald J. Trump in communications on official FBI devices. Graham argued this bias led to the decision to not hold Hillary Clinton criminally liable, as a way to keep her in the running for president. Clinton was the preferred candidate of Strzok and Page, and other FBI agents.

  • GRAHAM: “I’m not buying that the Clinton email investigation was on the up and up. And the reason I’m not buying it is cause the two people intimately involved, one the lead investigator, clearly did not want to see Donald Trump become President of the United States. Finally, do you agree with me that finding her [Hillary Clinton] liable, criminally, would be inconsistent with stopping Donald Trump? If they [the FBI] found Hillary Clinton was criminally liable, that paves the way for Donald Trump [to be elected president]. Can you put those two things together?”

HOROWITZ: “I guess it would depend when, but yes… it clearly could conceivably.”

GRAHAM: “Well not only clearly conceivably, that’s exactly what’s happening here folks. You cannot hold her [Hillary Clinton] criminally liable and stop him [President Trump].” https://youtu.be/jQx5u5GQ5NA?t=6m9s

  • GRAHAM: “Gross negligence is a criminally liable standard.” 

HOROWITZ: “Correct.”

GRAHAM: “So if they [the FBI] had said it the way they had originally wrote it, she’s [Hillary Clinton] guilty of a crime and the reason they changed it is because [some people think] she’s not guilty of a crime. And if you want to stop him [Donald Trump], it can’t be gross negligence.” https://youtu.be/jQx5u5GQ5NA?t=7m24s

  • GRAHAM: “What’s the difference between [extremely careless] and gross negligence?” 

HOROWITZ: “Not much.”

GRAHAM: “It’s a lot, politically.” https://youtu.be/jQx5u5GQ5NA?t=7m41s