Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff said on Sunday that Loretta Lynch’s reported directive to former FBI Director James Comey to mislead the public about the Clinton email investigation gives him a “queasy feeling,” echoing similar comments from Comey and Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein.
“You know, I think Senator Feinstein’s comment, I would agree with. It does give me a queasy feeling as well,” said Schiff, the ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, in an interview on CNN. (RELATED: Senate Launches Probe Into Loretta Lynch’s Handling Of Clinton Investigation)
“There may be a perfectly accurate explanation by Loretta Lynch about why she thought ‘matter’ was the appropriate term rather than ‘investigation.’ I wouldn’t assume James Comey’s characterization is the last word on it, although I’m sure it’s accurate,” Schiff said, adding that he “would like to hear what Loretta Lynch’s explanation for that is.”
Comey testified earlier this month that Lynch ordered him to refer to the Clinton email investigation as a “matter,” a term that he admitted was “inaccurate.” Lynch’s directive, Comey said, “concerned me because that language tracked the way the campaign was talking about the FBI’s work and that’s concerning.” (RELATED: Bush AG: Lynch ‘Betrayal’ Made DOJ ‘An Arm Of The Clinton Campaign)
“I don’t know whether it was intentional or not but it gave the impression that the attorney general [Lynch] was looking to align the way we talked about our work with the way the political campaign was describing the same activity, which was inaccurate,” said Comey. The former FBI director said Lynch’s order made him feel “queasy” but admitted he complied because it “wasn’t a hill worth dying on.”
“I would have a queasy feeling, too,” Feinstein conceded in an interview two weeks ago. “I think we need to know more about that and there’s only way to know about it, and that’s to have the judiciary committee take a look at that.”
The Senate Judiciary Committee opened a probe last week into Lynch’s handling of the Clinton investigation.
Among other things, the committee is looking into whether there was any coordination between the Democratic National Committee and the Department of Justice.
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