FBI Director Defends Clinton’s Email Decision Before Election,Discuss Bureau’s Insider Threat
FBI Director James Comey says he made the right decision to disclose to Congress that he reopened the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state, although that revelation made 11 days before the Nov. 8 U.S. presidential contest might have swayed the election toward Donald Trump.
“Look, this is terrible,” Comey testified at a May 3 hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee. “It makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election. But honestly, it wouldn’t change the decision.”
During the 4-hour long hearing, Comey touched on a number of cybersecurity-related matters, including the FBI investigation into Russian interference in the presidential election and possible Trump campaign ties to the Kremlin; how the bureau is aiding state and foreign government election officials on how to battle Russian meddling in national elections; working with technology companies to resolve the problem encrypted devices pose to counterterrorism investigations; and the threat insiders pose to the FBI’s information systems.
1. Clinton Investigation
On Oct. 28, Comey sent letters to the chairs and ranking members of oversight committees to inform them the FBI reopened its investigation.
