Hypocrisy, thy name is Hillary?
Hillary Clinton is demanding full transparency from the FBI and James Comey after the FBI officially reopened the investigation into her email server. Defiantly standing before the cameras on Friday evening, Clinton called the latest news “rumors” and told the press that she had no idea what they were looking at, and that irked her.
“You know, we’ve heard these rumors, we don’t know what to believe, and I’m sure there will even be more rumors. That’s why it is incumbent upon the FBI to tell us what they are talking about … because right now your guess is as good as mine, and I don’t think that’s good enough.”
There’s just one thing about that demand for FBI transparency that rings hollow, and that’s Clinton’s own habit of secrecy.
Hillary Clinton deleted more than 30,000 emails. A contractor used BleachBit to wipe her server after posting a question about how to protect a “very VIP” person. And then Clinton staff physically destroyed phones and computers during the Benghazi investigation to avoid handing over evidence.
Even CNN , that bastion of pro-Clinton bias, was stunned to find out that Clinton aides actually did destroy phones with hammers after trying to discredit the claim because it came from the Trump camp.
But sure, Hillary, let’s demand total transparency from federal agents investigating your improper and totally non-transparent private email server you set up to avoid government transparency.
That makes no sense. But then, nothing about this election cycle makes any sense.
The Democratic primaries had a cornucopia of election fraud ; mysteriously disappearing voter registrations, election officials changing paper ballots, state conventions with rule changes favorable to Clinton, and a DNC chair that WikiLeaks revealed was actually working on behalf of Clinton instead of remaining neutral. All the while, Bernie Sanders had poll numbers that gave him a resounding win over Donald Trump, but superdelegates stubbornly refused to support him. And when they did, they were scolded by Democratic fundraisers as traitors. And now, Clinton and Trump are in a virtual dead heat , as an ABC News polls just one point separating them.
Disappearing registrations, ballots materializing from nursing homes, suppression & officials changing ballots. But hey, #GoHillary ! pic.twitter.com/e7sK7noY7G
— Reno Berkeley (@RenoBerkeley) October 31, 2016
And the Democrats are wondering why voter enthusiasm is low.
Since FBI Director James Comey let Hillary off the hook with a mere scolding about her negligent email practices, the word on the street is that he was overwhelmed by a threat of mutiny from nearly a hundred agents if he did not pursue the case.
In the initial investigation, Comey granted immunity to nearly every top political target they interviewed, which virtually amputated any leverage they had to get information. As Representative Trey Gowdy put it, he handed immunity out like candy. And why did Comey allow eight people to sit next to Hillary Clinton while FBI agents interviewed her?
But here’s the fun part. The discovery of hundreds of thousands of emails on Anthony Wiener’s laptop could negate any plea deal Huma Abedin made with the FBI because she signed an affidavit swearing that she had turned over all emails pertinent to the initial investigation. And if federal agents discover anything important that wasn’t there before, she is toast.
Several retired top-level FBI agents expressed anger with Comey and how he essentially politicized the agency . Because of this, retired agent Michael M. Biasello told the New York Post , “I hold Director Comey responsible” for the agency’s tarnished reputation.
And then there’s I.C. Smith, the retired chief of the National Security Division in the Little Rock, AR, field office. He personally investigated the Clinton corruption and Chinese espionage.
“FBI agents upset with Comey’s decision have every reason to feel that way. Clearly there was a different standard applied to Clinton … What she did is absolutely abhorrent for anyone who has access to classified information.”
Theories have made the rounds on social media that Comey was under increasing pressure from agents who threatened to come forward with what information they had on Clinton, which forced his hand.
As RawStory reports, Nevada Senator Harry Reid accused Comey of violating the Hatch Act , which prohibits officials from using their authority to influence elections. But I argue the opposite. Once FBI agents knew about the emails on Anthony Wiener’s laptop (possibly shared by Abedin), he was under obligation to reopen the investigation. Sitting on them would have been a violation since not disclosing their existence would have clearly influenced the election. After all, they’ve known about the Wiener emails for weeks now.
What also makes Hillary’s demand for FBI transparency so remarkable is the fact that she knows it’s policy not to divulge information during an ongoing investigation. Have you even heard a reporter ask law enforcement what’s going on with a certain investigation and they say, “We’re unable to comment on an ongoing investigation?” They’re not going to advertise what they’ve got until they know they’ve got a case. That’s simple procedure, and Clinton knows it.
Her demand for transparency seems to be a smear tactic crafted to discredit the FBI even more. She also wants to know what they’ve got so she can craft a response to it.
If Hillary Clinton is elected next week, she’ll be the first President elected under active criminal investigation. And do we really want a president that refuses to hold herself accountable for things she demands of others?
[Featured Image by Andrew Harnik/AP Images]