The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General issued a report Thursday after reviewing the FBI and DOJ's handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and possible mishandling of classified information.
The report does not assess federal law enforcement's handling of the Russia investigation.
However, because this will not stop President Trump and his allies, determined to undermine the special counsel's investigation, from attempting to conflate the two, we believe it is important to offer the report on our site and emphasize the OIG concluded FBI Director James Comey's actions, as they pertain to the Clinton investigation, were insubordinate but not motivated by political bias.
“We found no evidence that the conclusions by department prosecutors were affected by bias or other improper considerations,” the report said. “Rather, we concluded that they were based on the prosecutor’s assessment of facts, the law, and past department practice.”
The report also highlights text message exchanges between FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page who worked on both the Clinton and Russia investigations, albeit the latter for only a short period of time. The two shared disparaging opinions of Donald Trump, as well as other political figures.
One exchange in particular has garnered extensive media attention. It can be found on page 404 of the OIG report.
Strzok and Page were federal law enforcement agents with knowledge of an investigation into potential Russian influence on a U.S. presidential candidate and campaign. Their concern over a possible grave national security breach and a desire to stop it is to be expected.
The inspector general said that, because of his views, Mr. Strzok may have improperly prioritized the Russia investigation over the Clinton investigation during the final weeks of the campaign. The F.B.I. officials “brought discredit” to themselves and sowed public doubt about the investigation. But the report did not cite evidence that Mr. Strzok had acted improperly or influenced the outcome of the investigation, the officials said.
“Our review did not find documentary or testimonial evidence directly connecting the political views these employees expressed in their text messages and instant messages to the specific investigative decisions we reviewed,” the report said.
In a statement, Strzok's attorney explained why his client likely prioritized the Russia investigation.
Office of the Inspector General Review of FBI and DOJ Actions in Advance of 2016 Election (Full report)
Comey Cited as ‘Insubordinate,’ but Report Finds No Bias in F.B.I. Decision to Clear Clinton (NYT)