Holder, 100 former Justice officials blast Comey in letter
The former attorney general and 100 other former DOJ official take Comey to the woodshed for breaking protocol in a manner that looks nakedly political:
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“Justice Department officials are instructed to refrain from commenting publicly on the existence, let alone the substance, of pending investigative matters, except in exceptional circumstances and with explicit approval from the Department of Justice officials responsible for ultimate supervision of the matter,” the letter says.
“They are also instructed to exercise heightened restraint near the time of a primary or general election because, as official guidance from the Department instructs, public comment on a pending investigative matter may affect the electoral process and create the appearance of political interference in the fair administration of justice.”
Democrats are furious about what they see as political meddling on the part of the bureau and its director so close to Election Day.
“Many of us have worked with Director Comey; all of us respect him. But his unprecedented decision to publicly comment on evidence in what may be an ongoing inquiry just eleven days before a presidential election leaves us both astonished and perplexed,” the letter continues.
“We cannot recall a prior instance where a senior Justice Department official—Republican or Democrat—has, on the eve of a major election, issued a public statement where the mere disclosure of information may impact the election’s outcome, yet the official acknowledges the information to be examined may not be significant or new.”
Some Democrats have cautioned that the emails, apparently found on a laptop once shared by Clinton aide Huma Abedin and her estranged husband, ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), could be duplicates of messages already examined by the FBI.
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