Lynch to Leave Decision to Prosecute Clinton to the FBI

 

Via the NYT:

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch plans to announce on Friday that she will accept whatever recommendation career prosecutors and the F.B.I. director make about whether to bring charges related to Hillary Clinton’s personal email server, a Justice Department official said. Her decision removes the possibility that a political appointee will overrule investigators in the case. The Justice Department had been moving toward such an arrangement for months — officials said in April that it was being considered — but a private meeting between Ms. Lynch and former President Bill Clinton this week set off a political furor and made the decision all but inevitable.

Republicans said the meeting, which took place at the Phoenix airport, had compromised the independence of the investigation as the F.B.I. was winding it down. Some called for Ms. Lynch to recuse herself, but she did not take herself off the case — one that could influence a presidential election.

More:

Her reassurance that she will not overrule her investigators, however, is significant. When the F.B.I. sought to bring felony charges against David H. Petraeus, the former C.I.A. director, for mishandling classified information and lying about it, Mr. Holder stepped in and reduced the charge to a misdemeanor. That decision created a deep — and public — rift.

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  1. BrentB67 Inactive
    BrentB67
    @BrentB67

    Whatever the outcome hopefully this will restore some confidence in the process.

    Her judgment on many things is suspect, but that meeting with Bill Clinton was the height of it.

    What is amazing is that the meeting was detected by accident with the news crew in the area. How many things like this have happened away from the media?

    • #1
  2. Red Fish, Blue Fish Inactive
    Red Fish, Blue Fish
    @RedFishBlueFish

    Bridge for sale!  Get your bridges here!

    • #2
  3. Hypatia Member
    Hypatia
    @

    Isn’t there more to this: didn’t Omega administration just announce  they’d shield thousands of her Emails involving her foundation until 27 months AFTER the election?

    We need a purge: vacate the Capitol, fumigate it, scrape the old mold out of every cranny.

    • #3
  4. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    Hypatia:Isn’t there more to this: didn’t Omega administration just announce they’d shield thousands of her Emails involving her foundation until 27 months AFTER the election?

    We need a purge: vacate the Capitol, fumigate it, scrape the old mold out of every cranny.

    The entire FedGov is a RICO.

    What can we do against such epic and total corruption?

    • #4
  5. James Madison Member
    James Madison
    @JamesMadison

    I don’t think there is enough to indict a civilian on anything deeply serious (wish there was, but HillarInc. planned this out and then circled the wagons), but if the question does result in a grand jury, an indictment and then a prosecution, AG Lynch will authorize a negotiated settlement with a slap on the chubby rump – no trial.  These people are several steps in front us.  We often get to these points and think, at last Justice.  Then we find out about Justice – the Department of.

    I also think this becomes a “win-win-win.”  Hillary or some underling is charged! Hillary is remorseful. Hillary gets an admonition and a settlement.  Hillary arises from the slime – a reformed and saved person.

    Expect this to proceed in a Fast and Furious way.  Meanwhile, why can State just drop off a Zip drive with the 34,000 emails about the Clinton Foundation at the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and FoxNews and let them do the screening, or do the “yoga-mails” have to be deleted first?

    This is the real issue now that we have been distracted with confidential email questions that are leading to a skinned knee and not much else.

    The candidate who wins this fall will be one that scares us least.  The grand jury will meet the week of the convention.  Indictment or not will be handed down.  Settlement two weeks later.  Nothing to see here folks.

    Slam, bam and thank you mams, justice done.

    • #5
  6. ToryWarWriter Coolidge
    ToryWarWriter
    @ToryWarWriter

    The fix is in.  Obama and the democrats are getting rid of her in favor of Biden.

    • #6
  7. Rightfromthestart Coolidge
    Rightfromthestart
    @Rightfromthestart

    She left out ‘ of course we know where they live and where their children go to school and their parents are retired and also the IRS files are being gathered as we speak’ , c’mon folks, this is the Clintons we’re talking about here, nothing will be left to chance.

    • #7
  8. philo Member
    philo
    @philo

    James Madison: These people are several steps in front us. We often get to these points and think, at last Justice. Then we find out…

    Exactly.  At this point, anyone who pays even the slightest attention to post-constitutional American politics should realize that, at these levels of power, the statement “will accept whatever recommendation career prosecutors and the F.B.I. director make” would never be made without already knowing what that recommendation will be or without being in complete control of what that recommendation will be OR simply being completely comfortable in the fact that, when the time comes, they will be able to pretend they never said it and at most will suffer nothing more than a mildly uncomfortable news cycle from the reliably incurious press before moving on to the next BREAKING NEWS story of the day.

    • #8
  9. jpark Member
    jpark
    @jpark

    This doesn’t sound like recusal, which is what is warranted. Recusal is not further involvement, not signing off on what others recommend.

    • #9
  10. The Reticulator Member
    The Reticulator
    @TheReticulator

    Note that she did not say that she would retire to a convent until it’s all over.

    • #10
  11. MB Member
    MB
    @MB

    Does anyone else wonder why the Attorney General needs her own private jet?

    • #11
  12. Fake John/Jane Galt Coolidge
    Fake John/Jane Galt
    @FakeJohnJaneGalt

    Well this pretty much indicates that the FBI will find no wrongdoing on HRC’s part.  I suspect the ruling will be that her activities gave the perception of wrongdoing but did not actually rise to the level of wrongdoing or some such tripe.  Any actual wrongdoing that can not be swept under the rug will be blame shifted to a lower level person that will be sacrificed.

    • #12
  13. Joe P Member
    Joe P
    @JoeP

    ToryWarWriter:The fix is in. Obama and the democrats are getting rid of her in favor of Biden.

    Or worse, she already knows that there isn’t going to be a recommendation against Clinton, because they’ve found someone to pin it on (e.g. Huma or Mills).

    • #13
  14. Eeyore Member
    Eeyore
    @Eeyore

    Ricochet Editors Desk: …she will accept whatever recommendation career prosecutors and the F.B.I. director make…

    In all the alphabet agencies, the K factor is really high. Named after IRS Director John Koskinen, it is the attitude that “we can take any Progressive action we feel like, facts be damned, and all you Flyover People can just take it in the shorts.”

    So what the Galts say in #12 is likely what the decision was, a decision made well before the “accidental” meeting between the AG & the Ex-Prez.

    • #14
  15. EB Thatcher
    EB
    @EB

    It did occur to me to wonder if Lynch personally would like to prosecute Hillary because she doesn’t like Hillary or she actually thinks Hilary is guilty or whatever.  However, she believes she can’t do it because she’s a Democrat, her career would be over, she doesn’t want this decision to be her footnote in history or whatever.

    She allows this “innocent” social meeting to take place, so that she can dump the decision on the FBI and look principled at the same time.  And no pressure from Obama to worry about, other than, “What the **** were you thinking of meeting with him?!?!”

    Now the pressure is on Comey and we may find out whether his reputed principles are real.

    • #15
  16. BrentB67 Inactive
    BrentB67
    @BrentB67

    EB:It did occur to me to wonder if Lynch personally would like to prosecute Hillary because she doesn’t like Hillary or she actually thinks Hilary is guilty or whatever. However, she believes she can’t do it because she’s a Democrat, her career would be over, she doesn’t want this decision to be her footnote in history or whatever.

    She allows this “innocent” social meeting to take place, so that she can dump the decision on the FBI and look principled at the same time. And no pressure from Obama to worry about, other than, “What the **** were you thinking of meeting with him?!?!”

    Now the pressure is on Comey and we may find out whether his reputed principles are real.

    I imagine Mr. Comey greeted this morning’s headlines with ‘gulp’.

    • #16
  17. Songwriter Inactive
    Songwriter
    @user_19450

    EB:It did occur to me to wonder if Lynch personally would like to prosecute Hillary because she doesn’t like Hillary or she actually thinks Hilary is guilty or whatever. However, she believes she can’t do it because she’s a Democrat, her career would be over, she doesn’t want this decision to be her footnote in history or whatever.

    She allows this “innocent” social meeting to take place, so that she can dump the decision on the FBI and look principled at the same time. And no pressure from Obama to worry about, other than, “What the **** were you thinking of meeting with him?!?!”

    Now the pressure is on Comey and we may find out whether his reputed principles are real.

    The flip side of that could be that Bill Clinton doesn’t want HRC to be president, and he orchestrated the “meeting” to derail her.

    I wouldn’t put it past him.

    • #17
  18. Eeyore Member
    Eeyore
    @Eeyore

    Songwriter:The flip side of that could be that Bill Clinton doesn’t want HRC to be president, and he orchestrated the “meeting” to derail her.

    I wouldn’t put it past him.

    I think that unlikely, as he owes her bigtime for making her path so rocky with his “indiscrections.” On the other hand, if she isn’t Prez, Bill gets to go back to his Frequent Flyer status on The Teenage Hooker Express.

    • #18
  19. PHCheese Inactive
    PHCheese
    @PHCheese

    MB:Does anyone else wonder why the Attorney General needs her own private jet?

    Heck Nancy Pelosi had a bigger jet than the AG’s. and she walks just the Speaker of the House. The House has three planes at there disposal. Also the DOJ probably has planes from asset forfeiture.

    • #19
  20. Hypatia Member
    Hypatia
    @

    PHCheese:

    MB:Does anyone else wonder why the Attorney General needs her own private jet?

    Heck Nancy Pelosi had a bigger jet than the AG’s. and she walks just the Speaker of the House. The House has three planes at there disposal. Also the DOJ probably has planes from asset forfeiture.

    Oh come on!  Think of the awful, irreparable consequences to the country which might ensue if the AG weren’t able to get around quickly to check on each and every elementary school lavatory in each and every state!

    • #20
  21. PHCheese Inactive
    PHCheese
    @PHCheese

    What is being overlooked in this is that WJC is also under investigation because the Clinton Family Crime Foundation is also under investigation. The FBI has already admitted that the investigation of Hillary ‘s emal diverged in to Foundation affairs. This makes WJC meeting with the AG even more outrageous. IMHO is is impossible for the FBI not to recommend an indictment. The Clintons may have been to smart by half this time.

    • #21
  22. Ball Diamond Ball Member
    Ball Diamond Ball
    @BallDiamondBall

    James Madison: This is the real issue now that we have been distracted with confidential email questions that are leading to a skinned knee and not much else.

    What do you mean?

    • #22
  23. James Gawron Inactive
    James Gawron
    @JamesGawron

    EDs,

    There is massively enough evidence for indictment on numerous counts. If the AG isn’t just pulling our leg, this should guarantee an indictment. Otherwise, I think we are talking the end of the rule of law in America. If HRC is indicted, I assume that even the party of no shame (the Democrats) will insist that she withdraw. If not, I think we are talking the end of democracy in America.

    Regards,

    Jim

    • #23
  24. David Carroll Thatcher
    David Carroll
    @DavidCarroll

    The FBI Director’s boss is Loretta Lynch.  Sure she will go with the FBI’s recommendation.  Which she controls as its supervisor.

    • #24
  25. Joe P Member
    Joe P
    @JoeP

    False Alarm everybody: Hopefully this edited link works.

    We can all relax now, the administration is exactly as corrupt as we expected.

    • #25
  26. Kozak Member
    Kozak
    @Kozak

    MB:Does anyone else wonder why the Attorney General needs her own private jet?

    Do you expect the Mandarins to travel with the peasants?

    • #26
  27. David Carroll Thatcher
    David Carroll
    @DavidCarroll

    Joe P: https://mobile.twitter.com/MarkHalperin/status/748867261658636289/p

    Something wrong with the url.  Incomplete, maybe.

    • #27
  28. Joe P Member
    Joe P
    @JoeP

    David Carroll:

    Joe P: https://mobile.twitter.com/MarkHalperin/status/748867261658636289/p

    Something wrong with the url. Incomplete, maybe.

    Just Fixed it in the post, I think. Try again.

    • #28
  29. The King Prawn Inactive
    The King Prawn
    @TheKingPrawn

    Listening to her interview, and it sounds like she got caught. The decision to pass the buck down to Comey is total CYA.

    • #29
  30. nyconservative Member
    nyconservative
    @nyconservative

    The fix is in. Obama and the democrats are getting rid of her in favor of Biden.

    This is something i hear all the time and it makes zero sense to me.Yes,I agree Obama would like to replace Clinton with Biden but the Sanders supporters would literally go insane and the reaction would threaten to burn the party down.Having won close to 45% of the vote and more than 20 states IMHO if Clinton is forced from the race Sanders will be the nominee and we can all get our “Che” shirts ready!

    • #30
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