Radio host Rush Limbaugh said Tuesday that FBI Director James Comey’s press conference on Hillary Clinton’s secret email server is proof that America’s institutions are “crumbling right before our very eyes.”
Mr. Comey said just after 11 a.m. EST. that “no reasonable prosecutor” would seek charges against the former secretary of state, despite calling her “extremely careless” with the nation’s most important intelligence documents. Mr. Limbaugh said it was understandable to be depressed, but that Republicans must make a public “prosecution” to defeat her presidential campaign.
“If you want to be depressed, look, I understand it,” the conservative said. ” The thing to be really disappointed about is the sad reality that just one institution after another that we used to be able to count on, that we thought was reliable, they all seem to be crumbling right before our very eyes. He lays out all the violations. He lays out all the irregularities. He lays out all the problems, and there are a lot of people in jail for doing exactly what he’s exonerated Hillary Clinton for today.”
Some of the details of the FBI’s investigation revealed by Mr. Comey include:
- FBI agents found 110 emails containing classified information when they were sent. Mrs. Clinton previously said that never happened.
- 36 email chains contained Secret information at the time the were sent.
- Roughly 2,000 additional e-mails were “up-classified” to make them Confidential.
- FBI Agents discovered “several thousand work-related emails that were not in the group of 30,000 that were returned by Secretary Clinton to State in 2014.” Mrs. Clinton previously said she turned over all work-related emails.
- 7 email chains included “matters that were classified at the Top Secret/Special Access Program level when they were sent and received.”
“In looking back at our investigations into mishandling or removal of classified information, we cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts,” Mr. Comey said. “All the cases prosecuted involved some combination of: clearly intentional and willful mishandling of classified information; or vast quantities of materials exposed in such a way as to support an inference of intentional misconduct; or indications of disloyalty to the United States; or efforts to obstruct justice. We do not see those things here.
“This is not to suggest that in similar circumstances, a person who engaged in this activity would face no consequences. To the contrary, those individuals are often subject to security or administrative sanctions. But that is not what we are deciding now.”
Mr. Limbaugh said the onus is now on presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and the rest of the party to hold Mrs. Clinton accountable for her actions.
“It’s going to be up to them to make campaign issues out of all these things, the lack of concern, the laziness, whatever charges you want to make about her unfitness and her lack of attention to necessary detail, her unqualified status, if you will, since there will not be any official action,” the radio host said.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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