Part of the the Department of Justice Inspector General's report after its release in Washington, Thursday, June 14, 2018. The report documented in painstaking detail one of the most consequential investigations in modern FBI history and revealed how the bureau, which for decades has endeavored to stand apart from politics, came to be entangled in the 2016 presidential election.(AP Photo/Jon Elswick) (Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
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Developing now, Friday, June 15, 2018
THE LEAD STORY - TAKEAWAYS FROM THE WATCHDOG REPORT: Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz, in a comprehensive and at-times scathing report on the handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, exposed extraordinary text messages by a top FBI official vowing to "stop" Donald Trump -- while calling then-FBI Director James Comey's actions in the case "insubordinate" ... The long-awaited report was released Thursday afternoon, spanning nearly 600 pages and scrutinizing the actions of numerous figures who played a key role in the Justice Department and FBI's investigation. The DOJ watchdog reviewed a variety of critical decisions over the course of the investigation -- including how authorities conducted the summer 2016 interview with Clinton, and why top FBI and DOJ officials with political connections didn't immediately recuse themselves from the probe. Horowtiz's report also outlines new information concerning apparent bias at the FBI and DOJ that he says undermines the public trust in each agency.
Still, the report said investigators found “no evidence that the conclusions by the prosecutors were affected by bias or other improper considerations.”
3. President Obama was one of the 13 individuals with whom Hillary Clinton had direct contact using her clintonemail.com account
4. Despite Clinton connections, former Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik and former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe didn't fully recuse themselves
5. 'Insubordinate' Ex-FBI Director James Comey repeatedly violated policy and inaccurately described the legal situation surrounding Clinton's emails
7. FBI agents' actions surrounding the DOJ/FBI interview of Hillary Clinton were 'inappropriate' and created appearance of bias
Comey responded to the report by tweeting that he believes the “conclusions are reasonable, even though I disagree with some.”
'BUT MY EMAILS,' GNOMEY COMEY: Hillary Clinton took a jab at former FBI Director James Comey on Thursday after it was revealed in a watchdog report on the bureau's handling of her email investigation that the fired bureau chief himself used an unsecured account to "conduct unclassified FBI business" . "But my emails," Clinton wrote on Twitter in response to the report released by the Justice Department, which disclosed that Comey told investigators he used his personal Gmail (Google Mail) accounts for some of his work at the FBI. Inspector General Michael Horowitz wrote he found the former director's use of personal email to be "inconsistent with Department policy."
Meanwhile, Comey apparently wasted no time trying to put the report from the Justice Department’s watchdog behind him, posting a somewhat odd photo to social media amid the political frenzy. He took to Instagram later in the day and posted a photo of himself standing next to a massive statue of a gnome. The caption was simple, and it rhymed: “Comey’s Gnomey.”
TRUMP TO 'SLEAZY' NY DEMS: 'I WON'T SETTLE': The New York state attorney general’s office filed a lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation for alleged illegal conduct and “unlawful political coordination” to benefit personal and business interests, drawing a harsh Twitter rebuke from President Trump . The suit was brought Thursday, following a months-long investigation led by “disgraced” - in Trump's words - former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. Acting Attorney General Barbara Underwood filed over the foundation’s alleged “persistent illegal conduct” which occurred over “more than a decade.”
Trump fired back over Twitter: “The sleazy New York Democrats, and their now disgraced (and run out of town) A.G. Eric Schneiderman, are doing everything they can to sue me on a foundation that took in $18,800,000 and gave out to charity more money than it took in, $19,200,000. I won’t settle this case!”
TRADE FIGHT BREWING: President Trump approved assessing tariffs on about $50 billion of Chinese goods, said individuals familiar with the decision, as the U.S. ratcheted up its trade fight with Beijing . The approval followed a White House meeting with senior White House officials and senior representatives of the Treasury and Commerce departments, U.S. Trade Representative's Office and national security officials. Beijing has made clear that it intends to impose its own tariffs on a corresponding amount of U.S. goods.
AS SEEN ON FOX NEWS
'POLITICS AT ITS VERY WORST': "What we have seen is Eric Schneiderman thought he was going to make his political career going after Donald Trump and his family and the foundation. At the same time he was asking for donations when he was running for office, so that’s the hypocrisy of New York politics." – Former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, on "The Story," slamming the New York attorney general's lawsuit against the Trump Foundation. WATCH
COMEY ‘DISASTER’: "The first and most important thing I take away from this is James Comey is ruined. This is the full ruination of James Comey. We see now why he wanted to get his book out. We see why he did the aggressive publicity tour. This is horrible for him." – Chris Stirewalt, on "Fox News @ Night," on the potential impact of the inspector general's report on the FBI and DOJ's handling of the Hillary Clinton email probe. WATCH
