Jason Chaffetz Digs in on Comey at Start of Capitol Hearing: ‘We Are Mystified and Confused’:
Jason Chaffetz opened up Thursday morning’s hearing with a scathing takedown of
FBI Director James Comey‘s recent announcement that he would not be recommending charges to the
Justice Department in the probe into
Hillary Clinton‘s private server. “I’m here because we are mystified and confused,” opened Chaffetz, who is serving as the Chairman of the
House Oversight Committee, “by the fact pattern that you laid out and the conclusions that you reached.” “It seems there are two standards,” he said, repeating the often-spoken line that the same charges against
Clinton would result in punishment for other people. “This classified information is entrusted to a very few. But there is such a duty and an obligation to protect that — to fall on your sword to protect that.”
Comey said this week that while the former
Secretary of State and her staff were “extremely careless” the the handling of sensitive materials, it did not fit the bill for “gross negligence,” the legal standard meaning a person consciously and voluntarily disregarded the need to use reasonable care
http://www.mediaite.com/online/we-are-mystified-and-confused-chaffetz-digs-in-on-comey-at-start-of-capitol-hearing/
Watch the above opening address from Jason Chaffetz via
MSNBC.Jason Chaffetz GRILLS James Comey On Why No
Charges For Hillary Clinton. Hillary Clinton Email
Investigation FBI Director James Comey testified at a hearing on the
FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of private email servers while serving as secretary of state, as well as the decision to not recommend criminal charges against her. When quizzed by
Republican Congressman Jason Chaffetz during his Congressional testimony Thursday, FBI Director James Comey declined to answer whether or not he would grant Hillary Clinton a security clearance given what he now knows about how she handled classified information. “
The FBI does background checks. If Hillary Clinton applied for the job at the FBI, would the FBI give Hillary Clinton a security clearance?” asked the
Utah Republican.
“I don’t want to answer a hypothetical,” Comey responded, “The FBI has a robust process in which we adjudicate the suitability of people for employment in the bureau.” Chaffetz tried rewording his question, asking instead about a generic person who did what Clinton did. “It would be a very important consideration in a suitability determination,” Comey admitted. “You’re kind of making my
point,
Director,” Chaffetz said to intermittent laughter in the gallery. “The point being, because I injected the word ‘Hillary Clinton,’ you gave me a different answer.” He then proceeded to list off Clinton’s security failings: “
If I came up to you and said this person was extremely careless with classified information, the exposure to hostile actors, had used, despite warnings, created unnecessary burdens and exposure, if they said they had one device and you found out they had multiple devices, if there had been e-mail chains with somebody like
Jake Sullivan asking for classification changes, you’re telling me the FBI would grant a security clearance to that person?” “I’m not answering — I hope I’m giving a consistent answer,” Comey responded. “I’m not saying what the answer would be, I’m saying that would be a important consideration in a suitability determination for anybody.”
“
Personally I just think that sounds a bit like a political answer because I can’t imagine that the FBI would grant security clearance to somebody with that fact pattern,” Chaffetz said to Comey. I say what I said before, it’s very hard to answer a hypothetical,” he replied.