WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the Justice Department’s inspector general report (all times local):
7:10 a.m.
President Donald Trump says former FBI Director James Comey will “now officially go down as the worst leader, by far, in the history of the FBI,” and adds he did “a great service to the people in firing him.”
Trump is tweeting about findings by the Justice Department’s internal watchdog that branded Comey as insubordinate for repeatedly breaking with Justice Department protocol in his handling of the email probe involving Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Trump has suggested that Comey’s handling of the email investigation is proof that the Russia investigation was tainted. That probe includes a look at whether Trump himself tried to obstruct justice by firing Comey.
Trump tweeted Friday that the new report “is a total disaster for Comey, his minions and sadly, the FBI. Comey will now officially go down as the worst leader, by far, in the history of the FBI. I did a great service to the people in firing him. Good Instincts. Christopher Wray will bring it proudly back!”
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7 a.m.
President Donald Trump is tweeting about the politically charged texts between two FBI employees, declaring that it “doesn’t get any lower than that!”
It’s the president’s first tweet on the report by the Justice Department’s internal watchdog. The IG found the text messages sullied the FBI’s reputation and “cast a cloud” over its investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton’s email but did not affect the investigation itself.
The running political commentary between the agency employees included one comment expressing a desire to “stop” Trump’s election.
Trump referenced that comment in his tweet Friday and adds: “Doesn’t get any lower than that!”
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12:35 a.m.
An inspector general report condemning the FBI’s actions in the Hillary Clinton email investigation blasts former FBI Director James Comey but also denies total vindication to the president who fired him.
The 500-page document stops far short of endorsing the attacks levied at Comey for the last year by President Donald Trump.
Though Trump has alleged that a politically tainted FBI tried to undermine his campaign, the report found nothing to suggest that political preferences influenced how the investigation was conducted.
Trump has suggested anyone less politically connected than Clinton would have been charged for the same behavior, yet the report does not second-guess the FBI’s decision to spare her from prosecution.
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