Hillary Clinton testifies before the House Select Committee on Benghazi. (Getty)
FBI Director James Comey announced July 5 that the FBI is recommending that Hillary Clinton not face criminal charges in the FBI’s probe into her emails and server, just days after she sat down with the FBI for an interview on the topic. Comey said in his statement:
Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.
You can read Comey’s full statement here.
The news was expected for days, but the Justice Department will have the final say. Donald Trump had Tweeted the reports on Saturday:
It was just announced-by sources-that no charges will be brought against Crooked Hillary Clinton. Like I said, the system is totally rigged!
One major U.S. news network reported Hillary Clinton wouldn’t be charged on Saturday, although it was through sources. An email exoneration is a big deal for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee as Donald Trump and Republicans have criticized her repeatedly for the probe.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. FBI Director Comey Said Clinton Or Colleagues Were “Extremely Careless”
Although Comey said July 5 that the FBI is not referring criminal charges against Clinton, he did have some criticisms of her and co-workers, saying,
Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.
Watch his full statement here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dYRUhQdK0E
A CNN Producer had Tweeted days ago that the network had learned Hillary wouldn’t be charged.
Sources tell CNN’s Evan Perez: expectation is that there will be announcement of no charges in Clinton email probe w/in next two weeks or so
Teddy Davis is a producer for the Jake Tapper show on CNN. The Washington Post also reported Saturday that Hillary’s FBI interview was the presumed final step in the investigation into her emails and said the next two weeks will be crucial.
2. CNN Previously Reported on Its Website That Hillary Clinton Probably Won’t Be Charged
(Photo by J.D. Pooley/Getty Images)
Buried in a CNN story on Hillary’s FBI interview was this dramatic line:
Sources tell CNN the expectation is Clinton will not face charges.
CNN also mentioned similar older reports in the story rounding up Clinton’s email interview with the FBI. In May, CNN reported:
The investigation is still ongoing, but so far investigators haven’t found evidence to prove that Clinton willfully violated the law the U.S. officials say.
The difference is that now the investigation is closer to wrapping up and sources are still telling CNN the same thing. CNN says the investigation should wrap up before the Republican and Democratic conventions this month.
3. Hillary Was Asked About the Reports on MSNBC
Hillary Clinton spoke about national security at the Virginia Air and Space Center in Hampton, Virginia on June 15. (Getty)
It didn’t take long for conservative media sites, like Breitbart, to pounce on the news that Hillary Clinton might not face criminal charges in the email controversy.
Breitbart reported that Hillary was asked about the reports she won’t face charges on MSNBC by Chuck Todd. Said Todd:
As we were talking, there are news reporters that indicate no charges may be brought against you and a final decision in a couple weeks.
Hillary Clinton responded:
Chuck I am not going to comment on the process. I have no knowledge of any timeline. This is entirely up to the Department
4. Hillary’s FBI Interview on July 2 With the FBI Lasted Hours
Hillary Clinton speaks to supporters at the Cleveland Industrial Innovation Center on June 13, 2016. (Getty)
The New York Times reported that the interview about Hillary’s private email correspondence – and whether she knowingly shared classified information – took 3.5 hours and was voluntary.
The interview took place at FBI headquarters in Washington. According to the New York Times, it focused on the question, “Did the actions of Mrs. Clinton or her staff rise to the level of criminal mishandling of classified information?”
5. Trump Had His Own Controversy Saturday Over a Star of David Tweet
It could be that Donald Trump was passing on the report in part to shift attention from his own controversy the same day that Clinton was interviewed. Trump deleted a Tweet that mentioned Hillary Clinton and featured a Star of David like symbol, the New York Times said.
Trump’s Tweet deletion came after other Twitter users criticized him, saying they believed the symbol was a Star of David. Trump responded on Twitter that it could have been a regular star or sheriff’s star. USA Today described the Tweet this way:
The tweet featured a faux newsmagazine cover showing a drawing of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee against a backdrop of hundred-dollar bills. On the right, in a red, six-pointed star, were the words, “Most Corrupt Candidate Ever!”