FBI Director James Comey has continued to face criticism over his bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email, including the numerous immunity deals given to her aides. Well, it turns out, the FBI didn’t give immunity to Cheryl Mills, a longtime aide:
“Who authorized granting Cheryl Mills immunity?” Rep. John Sensenbrenner asked.”It’s a decision made by the Department of Justice, I don’t know at what level inside,” Comey responded. “In our investigations, any kind of immunity comes from the prosecutors, not the investigators.”
The FBI doesn’t hand out immunity deals:
Comey added he understood Mills’ immunity as a request pertaining to the production of her laptop during the investigation.”The FBI doesn’t grant immunity to anybody, the Department of Justice is able to grant very different kinds of immunity,” Comey said. “If new and substantial evidence develops a witness lied [under immunity], of course the Department of Justice can pursue it. Nobody gets lifetime immunity.”
Last Friday, House Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) lashed out at the FBI over the immunity deals:
“No wonder they couldn’t prosecute a case,” Chaffetz said. “They were handing out immunity deals like candy.”
Comey told Rep. Ben Sasse (R-NB) that Mills needed the immunity “because without it, Mills would have fought investigators tooth and nail in an effort to withhold her computer.” But as Guy Benson points out, Hillary has claimed she and her team have fully cooperated. Well, doesn’t this declaration contradict her statement?
He also told Chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) that Mills was in fact a “subject” of the investigation because of her computer. Comey confirmed Mills had classified emails on her computer, but denied she committed a crime because they do not know why she had the emails on her unsecure server:
“You’d have to know the circumstances,” Comey told committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va.
Yeah, I don’t get it either.
Despite all of this, the FBI and DOJ allowed Mills to act as Hillary’s attorney and sit in on Hillary’s interview even though she was a witness. Thus, acting as Hillary’s attorney her communications with the presidential candidate are considered privilege. NOTHING TO SEE HERE, FOLKS. But the GOP knows there is more to it:
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R., S.C), a former federal prosecutor, said concerns were raised “when you have five immunity agreements and no prosecution, when you are allowing witnesses who happen to be lawyers…to sit in on an interview.” He added, “That is not the FBI that I used to work with. It looks to me like some things were done differently that I don’t recall being done.’’
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