Hillary Clinton says she regrets not dealing with ‘reckless’ Jim Comey in 2016
Hillary Clinton says she regrets not confronting James Comey more forcefully over his handling of the FBI’s 2016 review of emails linked to her private server. She argues that his letter to Congress breached precedent and Justice Department norms against election interference, and says she should have challenged him publicly.
Comey announced the review on 28 October 2016, less than two weeks before the election, then said on 6 November that it had not changed the FBI’s conclusion that Clinton should not face criminal charges. The article also reports that the Justice Department has filed criminal allegations against Comey over an alleged disclosure of national defence information, which he denies; his lawyers dispute the legal basis for the filing, and the investigation is ongoing.
In short
- Clinton says she wishes she had challenged Comey more forcefully in 2016.
- Comey’s email review announcement came 11 days before the election.
- Comey denies separate allegations over an alleged information disclosure.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Clinton’s strongest case is that Comey’s public announcement so close to polling day broke with established Justice Department practice and risked influencing voters before the FBI had reached a conclusion. Even if the inquiry was later closed without charges, the announcement may have caused lasting political harm, so she could reasonably regret not challenging it more forcefully.
The case against
Comey’s defenders could argue that the discovery of additional emails created a legitimate public-interest reason to update Congress, and that withholding the information might itself have invited criticism that the FBI concealed relevant developments. He announced the review and later reported its conclusion, while maintaining that he was acting in the public interest; the later criminal allegations are disputed and remain under investigation.
Explained simply
James Comey was director of the FBI, the US federal law enforcement agency, during the 2016 presidential election. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic candidate, had used a private email server while she was secretary of state, and the FBI examined whether her handling of work emails broke the law.
The FBI had already recommended that Clinton should not face criminal charges. Comey’s late October announcement that the bureau was reviewing newly found emails brought the issue back into the campaign; days later, he said the review had not changed the FBI’s conclusion. The timing raised questions about how law enforcement should act during an election.
The Justice Department, which oversees federal law enforcement, has also filed criminal allegations against Comey over an alleged disclosure of national defence information. Comey denies the allegation, and his lawyers dispute the legal basis for the filing.