FBI Report Exposes Clinton Trust Issues and “Extreme Carelessness”

By: Lorin McLain

Hillary Clinton might look like she’s under no threat of indictment over her email practices, but she’s not out of the woods yet. FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday said “no charges are appropriate” for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. However, his comments seriously criticized how Clinton handled classified information while heading the state department.

Comey called Clinton and her staff’s handling of information “extremely careless” while using personal email to discuss classified information. The most damning evidence finds 110 emails in 52 email chains were sent over insecure email servers that included classified information. Comey said there is no clear evidence anyone on her team intended to break the law, but the findings contradict her previous statements denying her email practices were sloppy. Clinton’s first line of defense was that she never knowingly sent or received classified information. She has admitted that she “made a mistake” by using private email servers.

The final decision on whether to press charges lies with the Department of Justice. Despite the FBI’s recommendation, some analysts say possible ignorance or negligence can still lead to some charges. Former DOJ attorney Jacob Frenkel told CNBC’s “Squawk Alley” that, “there is a basis for the Department of Justice to come to a different conclusion.”

Her Republican opponents are on the attack with the report’s conclusions. Donald Trump immediately tweeted: “The system is rigged. General Petraeus got in trouble for far less. Very very unfair! As usual, bad judgment.” The Republican National Committee issued a statement calling the findings “a glaring indictment of Hillary Clinton’s complete lack of judgment, honesty and preparedness to be our next commander in chief.” House speaker Paul Ryan said the FBI’s recommendation “defies explanation.”

While investigators say they have no way to quantify damage that could have resulted from the lax security, Comey said “hostile actors” breached the accounts of people she emailed through her private server, and that her use of a private server was widely known. Clinton wasn’t alone in taking heat from the report. Comey criticized the State Department as in institution suffering from a cultural problem in how it regards classified information.

The news isn’t helping her stature with voters. Polls continuously show dishonesty and untrustworthiness the major criticism of her candidacy. With Republican leaders now asking for the FBI to make its findings public, the issue will remain a hot one on the campaign trail.