Sen. John Kennedy assailed former FBI Director James B. Comey on Wednesday, calling him an “equal opportunity egotist” for his role in the bureau’s investigations into Hillary Clinton and President Trump.
“You have tried to screw both Clinton and Trump,” the Louisiana Republican said during a hearing at the Senate Judiciary Committee. “What were you thinking of?”
In a somewhat surprising eruption, Mr. Kennedy blasted the fired FBI director for his 2016 press conference exonerating Mrs. Clinton, then the Democratic presidential nominee, for her use of a private email server.
The 11 days before the 2016 election, Mr. Comey announced that he was reopening the Clinton probe. Some Democrats have blamed that announcement for Mrs. Clinton’s defeat in the 2016 election.
“Didn’t you realize that could have an impact on the election,” Mr. Kennedy asked of his June 2016 press conference.
“Potentially,” Mr. Comey responded. “I was trying to offer transparency about ending an investigation that was of intense interest to the American people.”
“We are talking about the Democratic nominee for president of the United States, and you didn’t think that it would have an impact on the election?” Mr. Kennedy shot back.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.