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From The Reporter’s Notebook
FBI Director James Comey’s announcement Tuesday that Hillary Clinton should face no criminal charges for using a private email system as secretary of state prompted a sigh of relief from many on the left. But as TPM’s Allegra Kirkland points out, Comey’s presser gave Republicans plenty of ammunition to use against Clinton in the final stretch of the 2016 campaign. The lack of charges, along with Comey’s claim that Clinton was “extremely reckless” with national security information, feeds into Donald Trump’s narrative that his Democratic opponent has “bad judgment” and that the system is “rigged” in favor of political insiders like her.
Agree or Disagree?
Josh Marshall: “There was always the chance that there were dramatically different or new facts the FBI had [in the Clinton email server investigation] that had never been made public or intimated in any way. Possible but extremely unlikely. Given what we knew, criminal charges weren’t even in the realm of reasonable consideration. You could find this out with just a little bit of reporting, speaking to former federal prosecutors, legal experts, really anyone knowledgable about the relevant law and past practice. To use just one oft-cited example: what happened here was not remotely comparable to what got David Petraeus charged with a crime under any theory of either case. Complete nonsense.”
Say What?!
“You don’t know him, so I’d be very careful about that.”
– Former Trump campaign manage Corey Lewandowski defended the aide responsible for a controversial tweet.
BUZZING: Today in the Hive
From a TPM Prime member: “Even if Clinton had not used a private server those 110 emails would just have been sent on the state department’s servers which have already been identified as even less secure than the one Hillary was using. She has repeatedly admitted it was a mistake to use the private server, but the real question is by what possible method could any secretary of state not be put in a position to have to do the exact same thing. Of significant importance in this is that the state department’s technology is antiquated, it is understaffed and underfunded to address complex technology issues today’s world. I wonder if the Republicans are planning on addressing that issue and providing cabinet level members of the president’s staff with an update.”
Related: FBI findings on the investigation into Clinton’s server use will have no impact on Bernie Sanders’ decision to stay in the race.
Have something to add? Become a Prime member and join the discussion here.
What We’re Reading
The man producing the Trump convention. (Adweek)
An open letter to Jared Kushner. (Observer)
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