The American public will not be able to read a transcript of Hillary Clinton’s recent interview with the FBI because the bureau did not transcribe it, FBI Director James Comey told Congress on Thursday.
Clinton was also not placed under oath during the interview, which was conducted Saturday at FBI headquarters. The three-and-a-half hour session was also not recorded, Comey told Florida Rep. John Mica during a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing.
Instead, FBI investigators recorded an FD-302, a document that summarizes statements given during an interrogation.
The news that Clinton’s interview was not recorded or transcribed came as a surprise to Mica. And when told that Clinton was not placed under oath, the Republican responded “well, that’s a problem.”
“It’s still a crime to lie to us,” said Comey, who indicated during his testimony that he would provide the FD-302 form to Congress.
A spokesman for the FBI told The Daily Caller that since Clinton “voluntarily submitted” to her interview over the weekend, “there is no policy” governing that it would recorded or provided under oath.
“Whether under oath or not, lying to the FBI in such an interview is a crime,” the spokesman said.
He also pointed to a 2014 Justice Department directive which established a presumption that interviews of individuals in federal custody would be recorded.
But “interviews in non-custodial settings are excluded from the presumption,” the policy states.
The spokesman did not respond to questions about why Clinton’s interrogation was not transcribed.
Comey provided other details about the FBI interview, the scheduling of which was first reported by The Daily Caller on Friday. He told Mica that he did not personally interview Clinton on Saturday. Five or six agents were present during the grilling.
This article has been updated with comments from the FBI.