FBI Chief Fends Off Republican Attacks on Clinton Decision
- ‘We went at this very hard,’ he says, but couldn’t make a case
- Republicans say Comey should probe if Clinton lied to Congress
FBI Director James Comey is sworn in before a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on July 7, 2016.
Photographer: YURI GRIPAS/AFP/Getty ImagesFBI Director James Comey forcefully defended his recommendation against criminal charges for Hillary Clinton during almost five hours of sharp questioning from lawmakers, as Republicans vowed to investigate whether she lied to Congress.
Comey was repeatedly challenged by a House panel Thursday about why no charges will be brought even though an investigation uncovered details that appeared to contradict Clinton’s past statements about her use of private e-mail as secretary of state. He parried questions about whether the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee lied to the FBI, how the bureau’s probe was conducted and even whether he was part of a bribery scheme to avert charges.