FBI Director James Comey said Thursday that he did worry about the precedent set by Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server to transmit classified information for other federal employees.
Rep. Will Hurd (R., Texas) asked Comey if he was concerned about whether Clinton’s conduct "sends a message" to other employees regarding such behavior.
"Oh, I worry very much about that," Comey said. "That’s why I talked about that in my statement, because an FBI employee might face severe discipline, and I want them to understand that those consequences are still going to be there."
Comey is testifying before the House Oversight Committee about the federal investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server while at the State Department. He said Tuesday that Clinton had been "extremely careless" with classified material but did not recommend charges be brought against her.
The full exchange is below:
HURD: Did you take into any consideration the impact that this precedence can set on our ability to collect intelligence overseas?
COMEY: Yes. My primary concern is the impact on what other employees might think in the federal government.
HURD: And you don’t think this sends a message to other employees that if the former secretary of state can have an unauthorized server in their basement that transmits top-secret information, that that’s not a problem?
COMEY: Oh, I worry very much about that. That’s why I talked about that in my statement, because an FBI employee might face severe discipline, and I want them to understand that those consequences are still going to be there.