Justice Department Launches Probe Into The FBI’s Actions During The Presidential Campaign

Zero Hedge – by Tyler Durden

The Justice Department Inspector General announced it has launche an investigation to examine whether the Federal Bureau of Investigation followed proper procedures in its probe of Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server. The inspector general’s announcement comes amid outcry from Democrats who say Clinton’s loss to President-elect Donald Trump was in part due to Comey’s bringing Clinton’s emails back into the public spotlight less than two weeks before the 2016 election.  

The Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General said the probe would focus in part on decisions leading up to public communications by FBI Director James Comey regarding the Clinton investigation, and whether underlying investigative decisions may have been based on “improper considerations.” Although the FBI ultimately decided not to refer Clinton’s case for prosecution, Comey aroused suspicion that may have diminished trust in Clinton among voters.

In October, less than two weeks before the Nov. 8 election, Comey said the FBI was continuing the investigation because of new emails found on the computer of disgraced former Representative Anthony Weiner, the husband of one of Clinton’s top aides. Then, on Nov. 6, Comey said the investigation into Weiner’s computer produced no new evidence that would incriminate Clinton.

Brian Fallon, Clinton’s spokesman, told MSNBC on Thursday that Comey’s actions “cried out for an independent review.” It is the usual practice of prosecutors and law enforcement, including the FBI, not to disclose information about investigations that do not end in criminal charges.

Before the Nov. 8 election, Comey sent a letter to lawmakers that said the FBI discovered new emails related to Clinton.

They were found as part of an on-going probe of disgraced former New York congressman Anthony Weiner.

The FBI later said it would not change its conclusion.

Here are the details announced by the DOJ’s Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz:

In response to requests from numerous Chairmen and Ranking Members of Congressional oversight committees, various organizations, and members of the public, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) will initiate a review of allegations regarding certain actions by the Department of Justice (Department) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in advance of the 2016 election.

Cognizant of the scope of the OIG’s jurisdiction under Section 8E of the Inspector General Act, the review will examine the following issues:

• Allegations that Department or FBI policies or procedures were not followed in connection with, or in actions leading up to or related to, the FBI Director’s public announcement on July 5, 2016, and the Director’s letters to Congress on October 28 and November 6, 201, and that certain underlying investigative decisions were based on improper considerations;
• Allegations the FBI Deputy Director should have been recused from participating in certain investigative matters;
• Allegations that the Department’s Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs improperly disclosed non-public information to the Clinton campaign and/or should have been recused from participating in certain matters;
• Allegations that Department and FBI employees improperly disclosed non-public information; and
• Allegations that decisions regarding the timing of the FBI’s release of certain Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) documents on October 30 and November 1, 2016, and the use of a Twitter account to publicize same, were influenced by improper considerations.

The review will not substitute the OIG’s judgment for the judgments made by the FBI or the Department regarding the substantive merits of investigative or prosecutive decisions.  

Finally, if circumstances warrant, the OIG will consider including other issues that may arise during the course of the review.

Is this the final action of a desperate-to-maintain-his-legacy Obama administration to ensure this topic never goes away and that blame for Hillary’s loss is placed anywhere but on her and her campaign.

The White House has – obviously – denied any involvement in this 11th hour decision by the Obama administration to further cast blame on someone else but Hillary for losing the election:

• *EARNEST SAYS W.H. NOT INVOLVED IN JUSTICE DEPT AUDITOR DECISION
• *EARNEST SAYS INSPECTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATIONS ‘INDEPENDENT’

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-12/justice-department-launches-probe-fbi-doj-actions-during-presidential-campaign