Trump Goes Off On Loretta Lynch Over Handling Of Clinton Email Server Probe

Attorney General Loretta Lynch speaks about recent shootings, Friday, July 8, 2016, at the Justice Department Washington. Gunmen shot and killed five police officers and wounded others in Dallas during a protest over fatal police shootings of black men in other states, authorities said. It appeared to be the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the 2001 terrorist attacks. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Attorney General Loretta Lynch speaks about recent shootings, Friday, July 8, 2016, at the Justice Department Washington. Gunmen shot and killed five police officers and wounded others in Dallas during a protest over... Attorney General Loretta Lynch speaks about recent shootings, Friday, July 8, 2016, at the Justice Department Washington. Gunmen shot and killed five police officers and wounded others in Dallas during a protest over fatal police shootings of black men in other states, authorities said. It appeared to be the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement since the 2001 terrorist attacks. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

As part of a Tuesday-morning tweetstorm on the various issues bothering him at the moment, President Donald Trump accused former Attorney General Loretta Lynch of illegally trying to protect his erstwhile opponent Hillary Clinton from an investigation into her use of a private email server as secretary of state.

During his testimony before the Senate last week, former FBI Director James Comey suggested he’d been concerned about the way Lynch handled the email server probe.

He said that Lynch’s tarmac meeting with former President Bill Clinton influenced his decision to speak publicly about his findings in the probe last summer. Comey also said that Lynch pushed him to call the investigation a “matter,” rather than an “investigation.”

“At one point, the attorney general had directed me not to call it an investigation but instead to call it a matter, which confused me and concerned me,” Comey said. “That was one of the bricks in the load that led me to conclude I have to step away from the department if we’re to close this case credibly.”

An unnamed person close to Lynch pushed back against Comey’s characterization of the former attorney general’s comments. This person told the New York Times that Comey sought out Lynch’s guidance on how to talk about the probe, and that Lynch encouraged him not to acknowledge an ongoing investigation.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. a free pass and protection. Totally illegal!

    So, following Don, Jr.'s pitifully dumb lead, is Senior recommending Justice make an example of him?

  2. I knew it. The pubbies glommed on to Comey’s very brief invoking of Loretta Lynch. At The hearing today, the GOP committee members will grill Sessions with probing questions about…, wait for it,…Loretta Lynch.

    Distraction.

  3. Look…squirrel!!!

  4. Man from Vlad feeling the heat!

  5. Obviously from that point everyone who ever ran for President has to get a free pass on anything illegal he or she may have done. It’s the only way to handle this fairly.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

65 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for george_c Avatar for srfromgr Avatar for mattinpa Avatar for asanders91360 Avatar for bobatkinson Avatar for krusher Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for mrcomments Avatar for mantan Avatar for thebigragu Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for johnrm Avatar for rssrai Avatar for darcy Avatar for musgrove Avatar for jaybeeraybee Avatar for karma5230 Avatar for cologirl Avatar for clare Avatar for spacesaver Avatar for the_loan_arranger Avatar for carolson Avatar for edgewise

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: