MN Democrats Muted On FBI Statement On Clinton Emails
WASHINGTON (WCCO/AP) -- The FBI won't recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server while secretary of state, agency Director James Comey said Tuesday, lifting a major legal threat to her presidential campaign. But Comey called her actions "extremely careless" and faulted the agency she led for a lackadaisical approach to handling classified material.
Reaction to the announcement was split along party lines both nationally and in Minnesota.
In an indication of how the FBI director's comments could still create problems for Hillary Clinton, Minnesota Democrats' reaction was muted and definitely not celebratory.
The Minnesota GOP responded with force, its chair Keith Downey saying the FBI director's comments show Clinton can't be trusted. Within hours the Minnesota GOP was using Comey's remarks in a fund-raising email.
"It's clearly condemning of Hillary Clinton's time as Secretary of State. She clearly compromised national security," Downey said.
Meanwhile, top Minnesota surrogates for Clinton offered tempered reaction. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a former prosecutor and law school classmate of Comey, said the investigation was thorough and that "the use of the private email server should never have happened. Hillary Clinton has acknowledged that and apologized and made clear that it was a mistake."
Longtime Clinton supporter and former vice president Walter Mondale said the recommendation not to charge is a boost to the Clinton campaign.
"I think this is a big break for Hillary, but it's one she has to be careful of because she needs to straighten out this whole issue so people feel more confident than they do now," Mondale said.
Comey's decision almost certainly brings the legal part of the issue to a close and removes the threat of criminal charges. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said last week that she would accept the recommendations of the FBI director and of career prosecutors.
"No charges are appropriate in this case," Comey said in making his announcement.
But Comey made that statement after he delivered a blistering review of Clinton's actions, saying the FBI found that 110 emails were sent or received on Clinton's server containing classified information. He added it was possible that people hostile to the U.S. had gained access to her personal email account.
While the justice department has the final say on whether charges will be filed, University of Minnesota law professor David Schultz says it is almost certain the department will follow the FBI recommendation. He said Comey's critique of carelessness by Clinton will be a criticism that will linger.
"She gets cleared but under very ambiguous circumstances," Schultz said. "This is not a vindication of her character; it still leaves some lingering questions about character and judge about whether or not the Clintons get held up to a different standard."
Late Tuesday afternoon, Sen. Al Franken said in a statement: "Secretary Clinton cooperated in the investigation and apologized for using a personal server, and I'm hopeful that we can move past this."
It seems clear, though, that Clinton's opponents are not going to let go of this issue and they believe the FBI director's comments have supplied them with added ammunition.
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