Attorney General Loretta Lynch released a statement Wednesday evening saying that the Department of Justice will accept FBI Director James Comey’s recommendation to not press charges against Hillary Clinton for mishandling classified information with her private email server.
"I received and accepted their unanimous recommendation that the thorough, year-long investigation be closed and that no charges be brought against any individuals within the scope of the investigation," Lynch said in her statement.
CNN reported that Clinton campaign spokesman Brian Fallon welcomed the news via Twitter.
With the AG accepting Director Comey's recommendation, this case is resolved, no matter Republicans' attempts to continue playing politics
— Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) July 6, 2016
The announcement from the Department of Justice comes just a day after Comey gave an unannounced news conference during which he did not recommended charges be brought against Clinton. Comey did criticize Clinton and her senior aides for being "extremely careless" with handling classified information, also refuting multiple past claims made by Clinton defending her email practices.
Lynch had previously said that she would accept the recommendation from the FBI on its probe into Clinton’s private email server use during her time as secretary of state.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus issued the following statement on Lynch’s announcement:
This decision by President Obama’s attorney general is a slap in the face to the many Americans entrusted with classified information who play by the rules and those who have been punished for lesser offenses. Many Americans will understandably have a difficult time believing the Obama Justice Department conducted a fair and impartial investigation when you have the attorney general secretly meeting with Bill Clinton and the Clinton campaign leaking Lynch could remain as AG, all just days before it was announced charges would not be pursued. Those who have mishandled classified information have had their security clearances revoked, lost their jobs, faced fines, and even been sent to prison, yet Hillary Clinton is being allowed to play by a different set of rules. By so blatantly putting its political interests ahead of the rule of law, the Obama Administration is only further eroding the public’s faith in a government they no longer believe is on their side.