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Lynch Refuses to Say Whether Clinton Emailed Classified Material

July 12, 2016

Attorney General Loretta Lynch repeatedly refused to say Tuesday whether she agreed with FBI Director James Comey’s assessment that Hillary Clinton emailed classified information on her private server while at the State Department.

House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R., Va.) laid out Comey’s statements that refuted Clinton’s defense of her email practices, but Lynch said she would not comment further on the investigation and would refer him to Comey’s own remarks. She also would not say if she agreed with Comey’s comments that Clinton had potentially violated statutes regarding mishandling of classified material.

Lynch decided not to file charges against Clinton last week to conclude the investigation of her private email conduct. Lynch came under scrutiny for privately meeting with Bill Clinton on her plane the previous week, drawing accusations of impropriety.

The full exchange is below:

BOB GOODLATTE: Let me turn your attention to Director Comey’s conclusions on a variety of points. Secretary Clinton stated that she never sent or received information marked as classified on her server. Director Comey stated that was not true. Do you agree with Director Comey?

LORETTA LYNCH: You know, Director Comey has chosen to provide great detail into the basis for his recommendations that were ultimately provided to me. He’s chosen to provide detailed statements, and I would refer you to those statements. I as Attorney General am not able to provide any further comment on the facts or the substance of the investigation.

GOODLATTE: Well, General Lynch, I think you would agree that the ultimate responsibility for a prosecutorial decision does not rest with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, but with the Department of Justice, which you head. Have you not taken a close look at the work done by Director Comey, especially given the extreme national interest in this issue to make a determination yourself whether you and those working for you agree or disagree with Director Comey?

LYNCH: As I’ve indicated, I received the recommendation of the team, and that team was composed of prosecutors and agents, was a unanimous recommendation as to how to resolve the investigation and the information that they have received concluded—

GOODLATTE: Do you agree with the conclusion?

LYNCH: I accepted that recommendation. I saw no reason not to accept it, and, again, I reiterate my pride and faith in their work.

GOODLATTE: Secretary Clinton stated that she did not email any classified material, and Director Comey stated there was classified material emailed. Do you agree with Director Comey’s conclusion about that?

LYNCH: Again, I would have to refer you to Director Comey’s statements for the basis for his recommendation.

GOODLATTE: Director Comey stated that there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information. Do you agree with Director Comey’s statement?

LYNCH: Again, I would refer you to Director Comey for any further explanation as to the basis for his recommendations. The recommendation that I received from the team including Director Comey was that the investigation be resolved without charges.

GOODLATTE: But Director Comey made a recommendation but made a recommendation to the Department of Justice, which you head, and you would have to come to the final conclusion on whether or not to act. I would presume that before you acted, you would look at his conclusions and determine whether you agreed with them or not.

LYNCH: As I’ve indicated, I received a briefing from the team, which included, not just the prosecutors but the agents and Director Comey, their unanimous recommendation was that the matter be resolved in the way in which we’ve announced, and I accepted that recommendation.