On Thursday, the Department of Justice Inspector General released a report, which reviewed various actions by the FBI and DOJ in advance of the 2016 election. Arizona’s congressional delegation was largely silent with the exception of congressmen Andy Biggs and Paul Gosar.
Gosar called the “political bias” depicted in the report “very disgraceful.” He encouraged constituents to read it.
[Read Department of Justice Inspector General’s report here]
“This report confirms what Members of Congress have been stating for the past year: there are two standards – one for everyday Americans and one for Washington elitists. Hillary Clinton, as one of the United States’ top public officials, compromised classified information and mishandled government emails with her illegal server. Former FBI Director James Comey abused his authority throughout his tenure,” said Biggs in a press release. “Others – from the former Attorney General to senior agents and prosecutors – at the very least – had serious professional lapses. They are responsible for the breakdown of trust in our justice system. If any of my constituents had mirrored these actions, they would be facing serious legal consequences.”
“Although the Inspector General is an investigative unit and cannot prosecute, his report continues to raise questions about misconduct, dereliction of duty and abuse of power within the highest levels of the FBI,” continued Biggs. “Congress should subpoena Comey to answer for his misdeeds. A second special counsel must be appointed to build on the work of Inspector General Horowitz and probe whether any criminal indictments are warranted. Also, this Inspector General’s report reaffirms our arguments for Robert Mueller’s resignation. Comey continually abused and manipulated his authority – including leaking potentially classified memos to influence the appointment of a special counsel, which happened to be his friend, Robert Mueller. The more we know about Comey’s actions, the more we realize that there was no need for the Mueller witch hunt. It should be dismantled immediately.”
“I am thankful for the Inspector General’s report – and for his work. However, as I wrote earlier today, I am concerned with the editing process of his drafts – particularly the individuals who had access to the review,” concluded Biggs. “I renew my call for Attorney General Sessions and FBI Director Wray to re-open the Clinton email investigation. I will continue to request for all drafts of the report to be transmitted to Congress and for complete transparency and disclosure with the Department of Justice’s role in the Clinton and Mueller investigations.”