WASHINGTON — Days after the release of a much-anticipated review of Department of Justice and FBI conduct during the 2016 election, the findings have come under scrutiny from a Senate panel.
During a Judiciary Committee hearing Monday, lawmakers grilled DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz and FBI Director Christopher Wray about the 568-page report.
The year-long investigation by the inspector general’s office reviewed the decisions top FBI and DOJ officials made regarding the probe of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.
The report determined that the decision not to file charges against Clinton was not a result of bias, though it did criticize high-level officials including former FBI Director James Comey and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch.
It also reviewed text messages between FBI official Peter Strzok and lawyer Lisa Page in which the two showed a clear political preference for Clinton over President Donald Trump.
The hearing illustrated the partisan divide in the interpretation of the report’s conclusion.
“Don’t be fooled” by the Democrats’ assertion that the report found “no bias,” said committee Chair Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa. He pointed out that some who showed political bias against Trump in text messages have been removed from the special counsel team investigating Russian involvement in the 2016 election, led by Robert Mueller.
Grassley said the report shows a “stark” difference between the handling of investigations into Clinton’s email and the Russia probe.
“The Justice Department faces a serious credibility problem because millions of Americans suspect there is a double-standard,” Grassley said. “They see a story of kid-glove treatment for one side and bare-knuckle tactics for the other.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., emphasized the report’s conclusion with regards to Clinton’s emails.
“The inspector general found no evidence of political bias in the FBI’s investigation of Secretary Clinton or in the decision not to pursue criminal charges,” Feinstein said.
Feinstein said that while the probe into Clinton’s emails was discussed publicly multiple times during the election, the investigation of Russian interference was also ongoing but was not raised.
Wray and Horowitz fielded questions from the panel on decisions then-FBI Director James Comey made, changes to internal protocol, and more.
Rep. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, raised concerns about revelations in the report that multiple FBI workers were involved with leaks to the press.
Wray said the FBI has taken steps to stem leaks, including setting up an internal investigations team dedicated to leak cases and establishing stiffer penalties.
“And we won’t hesitate to throw the book at people who violate our rules on this,” Wray said.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., was dismissive of an assertion by some that the report found the law enforcement agency was biased against Trump.
“Clearly some of Mr. Strzok’s text messages were inappropriate, but if the FBI were trying to throw the election for Hillary Clinton they could not have done a worse job,” he said.
Leahy questioned both officials about an internal investigation into leaks about the Clinton probe to Trump adviser Rudy Giuliani, which Comey referenced at an appearance before the committee last year.
Wray and Horowitz declined to confirm or deny whether the investigation exists.
Leahy took aim at Trump’s assertion that the report exonerates him of working with Russia during the 2016 election, asking Horowitz about whether the report touched on the matter of collusion.
Horowitz acknowledged that the investigation touched briefly on the Russia probe, however it was not the focus.
“We did not look into collusion questions,” Horowitz said.
Leahy asked Wray about his assessment of whether the Mueller probe is a witch hunt, as the president and his supporters claim — a question he has asked the FBI director in the past.
“Do you have any reason to believe that this investigation has been discredited?” Leahy said.
Wray stood by his previous stance.
“Senator, as I said to you last month and as I said before, I do not believe special counsel Mueller is on a witch hunt.”
Horowitz appeared before two House panels to testify on the report Tuesday.
