WASHINGTON — Republicans are outraged the FBI isn’t recommending criminal charges against Hillary Clinton after its yearlong investigation into her use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state.
So, they’re calling for their own investigation. Into the investigation. Wait, what?
House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Tuesday night that Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who chairs the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, plans to call up FBI director James Comey to Capitol Hill to testify about Clinton’s emails.
“We’re going to have hearings,” Ryan said in an interview with Megyn Kelly on Fox News. “There are a lot of unanswered questions here.”
The House Judiciary Committee is also pushing back on Comey’s decision. The chairman, Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), wrote to the FBI director Tuesday demanding answers to a list of questions about the agency’s probe of Clinton’s emails.
Ryan couldn’t say if he thought Comey’s decision not to prosecute Clinton was influenced by politics (though it’s worth noting Comey is a Republican and was appointed by former President George W. Bush). Regardless, he said Clinton shouldn’t have access to classified information once she becomes the Democratic presidential nominee at the party’s convention this summer.
“I think the DNI, the director of national intelligence, should block her access to classified information given how recklessly she handled this during the presidential campaign,” Ryan said.
Earlier Tuesday, a handful of Republicans were already calling for a fresh investigation into the investigation into Clinton. Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) accused the FBI of being “steeped in political bias” and said there should be an “independent and impartial decision” made about the legality of Clinton’s use of email, per a Washington Post report. Rep. Matt Salmon (R-Ariz.) said he will push for “a special prosecutor” to re-examine the charges against Clinton.
Toward the end of his interview, Ryan reiterated that he is still supporting Donald Trump for president.
“Donald Trump is far better to be commander in chief than Hillary Clinton in my mind,” Ryan said. But, he added, “When he says things I don’t agree with, I’m going to speak my mind.”
