The director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday defended his decision to announce last year that the agency had reopened an investigation into former U.S. presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s emails.
“To not speak about it would require an act of concealment,” James Comey told the Senate judiciary committee.
“Concealing, in my view, would be catastrophic — not just to the FBI but well beyond.”
It was the FBI chief’s most impassioned defence of his October 2016 decision to date.
Comey said it made him “mildly nauseous” to think that the FBI may have had some impact on the U.S. presidential election, which took place only days after Comey revealed that the Clinton email probe had been reopened.
‘I’m not on anybody’s side.’
— James Comey, FBI director
Two days before the election Comey said a review of the emails had not changed the FBI’s earlier determination that Clinton should not face criminal charges.
Clinton on Tuesday said Comey’s actions were among the factors that cost her the election.
Under questioning, Comey maintained he did not treat disclosures about the Clinton investigation and potential connections between the Trump campaign and Russia differently.
Comey did not acknowledge that the FBI has been investigating possible co-ordination between Russia and Trump associates until March.
Comey told the committee both cases were treated consistently. He said he only told lawmakers about the reopening of the Clinton investigation because he had testified before Congress that the probe had been closed.
He said that other than revealing the Trump investigation exists, no other information would have been discussed until it is closed.
“I’m not on anybody’s side,” he said at one point.
