For most of the past three years, the FBI has tried to portray its top leadership as united behind ex-Director 's decision not to pursue criminal charges against for transmitting classified information over her insecure, private email server.
Although in the end that may have been the case, we now are learning that Comey's top lawyer, then-FBI General Counsel James Baker, initially believed Clinton deserved to face criminal charges, but was talked out of it "Pretty late in the process."
During questioning by Rep., Baker was unequivocal about his early view that Clinton should face criminal charges.
"I have reason to believe that you originally believed it was appropriate to charge Hillary Clinton with regard to violations of law - various laws, with regard to mishandling of classified information. Is that accurate?" Ratcliffe, a former federal prosecutor, asked Baker.
Baker made clear that he did not like the activity Clinton had engaged in: "My original belief after - well, after having conducted the investigation and towards the end of it, then sitting down and reading a binder of her materials - I thought that it was alarming, appalling, whatever words I said, and argued with others about why they thought she shouldn't be charged."
Republicans have seized on the change as evidence that Comey and the FBI treated Clinton with favoritism.
What Baker's still-secret testimony makes clear is that, incredibly, we still don't know the full story on how the Clinton email investigation ended and if anyone else disagreed with the outcome - even after congressional hearings and an inspector general's review.
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/430881-fbis-top-lawyer-believed-hillary-clinton-should-face-charges-but-was
Although in the end that may have been the case, we now are learning that Comey's top lawyer, then-FBI General Counsel James Baker, initially believed Clinton deserved to face criminal charges, but was talked out of it "Pretty late in the process."
During questioning by Rep., Baker was unequivocal about his early view that Clinton should face criminal charges.
"I have reason to believe that you originally believed it was appropriate to charge Hillary Clinton with regard to violations of law - various laws, with regard to mishandling of classified information. Is that accurate?" Ratcliffe, a former federal prosecutor, asked Baker.
Baker made clear that he did not like the activity Clinton had engaged in: "My original belief after - well, after having conducted the investigation and towards the end of it, then sitting down and reading a binder of her materials - I thought that it was alarming, appalling, whatever words I said, and argued with others about why they thought she shouldn't be charged."
Republicans have seized on the change as evidence that Comey and the FBI treated Clinton with favoritism.
What Baker's still-secret testimony makes clear is that, incredibly, we still don't know the full story on how the Clinton email investigation ended and if anyone else disagreed with the outcome - even after congressional hearings and an inspector general's review.
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/430881-fbis-top-lawyer-believed-hillary-clinton-should-face-charges-but-was
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