Comey: FBI looked 'hard' for obstruction of justice in Clinton email probe

In a blog post published today @ Politico, we find out that, purportedly according to James Comey, the FBI was looking for an obstruction of justice charge:

"We looked at it very hard to see if there was criminal obstruction of justice," Comey said at a Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, under questioning by Chairman Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.)

"We looked at it very hard. We could not make an obstruction case against any of the subjects we looked at," Comey said. He did not identify those whose conduct the FBI investigated for potential obstruction.

Oh, remember Hillary's "voluntary" interview?

An FBI report released earlier this month showed five attorneys accompanied Clinton to her interview, Mills, David Kendall, Kathleen Turner, a lawyer whose name was redacted from the released report and Heather Samuelson, who was also interviewed as a witness in the email probe.

Two of the 5 people present in the capacity as attorneys were granted immunity from prosecution in relation to this case. I am curious as to why one of the attorneys name was redacted.

We also find out details on Mills' immunity deal and why she was granted immunity in the first place:

The FBI director also explained publicly for the first time a grant of immunity prosecutors gave to Mills to gain access to her laptop. (Similar immunity was also granted to Samuelson.)

"It was not personal immunity for her the immunity was we will not use directly against you anything we recover on this laptop. It’s a fairly common tool in criminal investigations," said Comey, who was a longtime federal prosecutor and spent time in the private sector before taking the top FBI job. "The FBI's judgment was we need to get to that laptop. We need to see what it is. This investigation’s been going on for a year and this was in the negotiation a tool that her lawyer asked for that the Department of justice granted so we could get the laptop."

The immunity was offered as a means to hurry the process along. It was determined (by someone in the FBI) that they'd rather have access to the laptop than be able to prosecute the owner (Cheryl D Mills) in relation to the laptop:

"Well, it’s a lawyer's laptop. So, having done this for many, many years, a grand jury subpoena for a lawyer’s laptop would likely entangle us in litigation over privilege for a very long time," Comey said. "And so, by June of this year, I wanted that laptop our lawyers wanted that laptop. And the best way to get it was through negotiation."

Well, I would say that the American people got the very short end of that negotiation in hindsight as there were no prosecutions which resulted from the investigation. Hell, there weren't even charges recommended due to the statement that "no reasonable prosecutor" would take the case.

At this point, we have to give serious consideration to the possibility that the top law enforcement agency in the nation has been compromised and does not serve the interests of the American people but are, rather, working toward the coverup of the century's biggest conspiracy.

Paul Combetta is mentioned,but there is no reference at all to his activities on reddit in relation to his online alias of stonetear.

Politico

Where do we go from here? Hopefully when Comey appears before the Judiciary Committee tomorrow, this and other questions will be asked for which answers demanded other than "these aren't the droids we're looking for. Move along..."

I am very much looking forward to Comey's testimony tomorrow. Chaffets should make it interesting.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

I'm all for Clinton being guilty of mishandling classified info and suffering the consequences. It's BS she walks away while many others are or have been in front of a judge for similar cases and lesser charges. What's odd is that Comey isn't a democrat, he's a republican so I've come to conclusion party affiliation at their level is nothing more than a dog and pony show.

So guys, if you identify as a democrat or republican, well, you're doing it wrong. They're all in the Big Club, well, not you.

a reply to: Swills

People at the top aren't Rep or Dem, they belong to the Fed party. Aka they worship the almighty dollar.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

That must have been like "looking for a haystack in a needle".

Or maybe he was blinded my all the green in his future; or maybe it was in his past.

I'll put this here.

Comey EXPOSED: FBI Director Received millions from Clinton Foundation

Who Is Peter Comey?

When our source called the Chinatown offices of D.C. law firm DLA Piper and asked for “Peter Comey,” a receptionist immediately put him through to Comey’s direct line. But Peter Comey is not featured on the DLA Piper website. Peter Comey serves as “Senior Director of Real Estate Operations for the Americas” for DLA Piper.

James Comey was not questioned about his relationship with Peter Comey in his confirmation hearing.

DLA Piper is the firm that performed the independent audit of the Clinton Foundation in November during Clinton-World’s first big push to put the email scandal behind them.

DLA Piper’s employees taken as a whole represent a major Hillary Clinton 2016 campaign donation bloc and Clinton Foundation donation base.

DLA Piper ranks #5 on Hillary Clinton’s all-time career Top Contributors list, just ahead of Goldman Sachs.

MORE:
www.molonlabemedia.com...

There was no reason to grant immunity to anyone. Nothing was gained from it. I could understand granting maybe one person immunity but every single person close to the case is nonsense. He needs to go along with Lynch. As for her server, they should have just went and grabbed it. No need to get anybody's permission. Get a warrant and snag it along with the laptops.

More and more keeps coming about the Hillary Clinton corruption.

The FBI isn't exactly a bargain either.

They wanted to see what was on that laptop really bad, didn't they. "Damned the prosecution....we just want to see what info you might have on that laptop! Don't want there to be anything that might implicate somebody of importance, now do we?"

I don't understand. He's acting like that Reddit-Stonetear thing never happaned? Does that mean that he is going to claim that Stonetear is not Combetta?

Very very interesting. When you're having a hard time making sure the news stays in your corner, do everything you can to place someone in theirs:

NEW YORK – The Fox television affiliate in Denver has hired a reporter to cover politics, including Monday night’s presidential election debate, without disclosing he is a former speechwriter and transition team member for President Bill Clinton who apparently has had a role in covering up Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified information.

The hiring of Andy Boian by KDVR-TV was announced Friday in a report by the station.

Anyone who has been paying attention will have a bell go off in relation to the name of this person. He used to work for a firm that represented Platte River Networks:

In August 2015, Boian appeared on the Fox News show “On the Record” with Greta Van Susteren in his capacity as founder and CEO of the Denver-based crisis management firm Dovetail Solutions.

The Clintons’ corruption is exposed in “Partners in Crime: The Clintons’ Scheme to Monetize the White House for Personal Profit,” available at the WND Superstore!

His firm represented Platte River Networks, the Internet technology company that began managing Clinton’s State Department server Aug. 12, 2013, about five months after Clinton left office.

“The job of an IT company in the capacity of Platte River is to literally manage and protect that data. We don’t look at the data,” Boian told “On the Record.”

Well the FBIs newly released pages show that he absolutely knew what was on the server:

On Sept. 23, an FBI “document dump” of 189 pages of evidence included an email documenting that an unnamed employee at Platte River Networks sent a work ticket that referenced the “Hilary [sic] coverup [sic] operation,” after the Clintons asked Platte River to modify her email system so it would automatically delete messages after 60 days.”

On Sept. 20, the Denver Post reported Paul Combetta, a computer specialist with Platte River Networks who worked with Clinton’s staff while she was secretary of state, had posted a message on Reddit in July and December of 2014 asking for technical advice regarding how to strip from classified emails the email address of an unnamed “VERY VIP” client from email archives.

The revelation that strongly suggests Boian not truthful in 2015 when he insisted to news media that his client Platte River Networks did not handle classified emails when dealing with Clinton’s private email server.

wnd.com

Dirty laundry from the get go.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

Very very interesting. When you're having a hard time making sure the news stays in your corner, do everything you can to place someone in theirs:

Have you read the couple of threads recently (one of them I started) where the FBI can pose as a journalist, a reporter, or even a person making a documentary and use propaganda. There were some changes to that recently, however, by the DOJ. The DOJ now wants to be informed whenever the FBI is undercover as a journalist or reporter. So, I wonder who really this guy is.

DOJ higher-ups now have to approve any operation in which agents plan to impersonate journalists.

a reply to: queenofswords

I did see that and had forgotten about that as a possibility but it does indeed bear pondering does it not?

So what do we do, as a people, if it is learned that the investigative arm of the executive branch actively thwarted an investigation?

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

It keeps getting better and better doesn't it.

They just can't seem to contain their secrets anymore !!

Spam Removed

This is the Wall Street Journal:

These columns have long opposed the appointment of special prosecutors, but that depends on the ability of established legal officers to do their jobs without political favor. Mr. Comey’s handling of the Clinton case understandably makes Americans wonder if their government can be trusted to perform this duty. On the evidence of the FBI’s special treat for Mrs. Clinton and her aides, they are right to wonder.

The entire article is worth the read, but the last paragraph I quoted above drives home the main point.

James Comey’s Clinton Immunity
More questions about the FBI’s special handling of the email case.

This was filed under their Opinion section, which is kind of a big deal. They are looked at as the financial paper of the United States and have a worldwide readership. Them making the statement that the American Public are right to wonder about the FBI's treatment of "Mrs. (note, not "Former Secretary," very subtle, but powerful dig right here) Clinton and her aides," says more than I think many people realize.

Tomorrow's meeting of the Judiciary Committee will have a lot of eyes I think.

a reply to: IAMTAT

that alone should merit re trying and this time with a special prosecutor. conflict of interest for sure.

Comey before House Judiciary Committee LIVE now:
www.youtube.com...

originally posted by: IAMTAT
Comey before House Judiciary Committee LIVE now:
www.youtube.com...

Needed a grand jury.

It's all BS.

So essentially ... the FBI looked for criminal activity, hard, and found none.

Great thread!