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DOJ Will Not File Charges Against Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (politico.com)

An anonymous reader writes: After FBI Director James Comey recommended not to indict Hillary Clinton for her email misconduct yesterday, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said on Wednesday that the Justice Department has decided not to pursue charges against Hillary Clinton or her aids and that the department will close the investigation into her use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state. "Late this afternoon, I met with FBI Director James Comey and career prosecutors and agents who conducted the investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email system during her time as Secretary of State," Lynch said in a statement on Wednesday. "I received and accepted their unanimous recommendation that the thorough, year-long investigation be closed and that no charges be brought against any individuals within the scope of the investigation."

18 of 801 comments (clear)

  1. Yawn by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Voting for Hillary because she's "not guilty" is like hiring Casey Anthony to babysit your kid.

    --
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    1. Re:Yawn by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This is merely to put the final nail in Bernie's coffin. We're left with two absolutely horrible people who shouldn't be pissed on should they catch fire. But we're not lucky enough for either one to catch fire.

      The election is over, we all lost.

    2. Re: Yawn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      What leaks do you need? If what Comey said wasn't enough nothing will satisfy you. He said she's a total fuckwit but her last name is Clinton so his hands are tied.

  2. No justice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Snowden blows the whistle on illegal government spying, is forced to flee the country. Clinton violates laws and exposes classified information and will be the next President. There is no justice in America.

  3. Not surprising by _xeno_ · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We of course knew this was coming when the FBI didn't recommend indictment, given that Lynch said she'd go along with whatever the FBI decided.

    But I expect the real reason is simple: they don't feel they're guaranteed a conviction. If you listen to Comey's reasoning, he was quite clear that there was no precedent for such a case - meaning that they don't want to set a precedent until they have iron tight evidence where they can be sure they know how the case will go.

    Likewise, "no reasonable prosecutor" would want to be the prosecutor who indicted potentially the first woman president and then lost the case. If the case wasn't a 100%, sure-fire victory, no one would be willing to prosecute it. Which is kind of reasonable: who wants to torpedo their career by killing Hillary's presidential chances only to lose at trial?

    But it does lay clear that there are two classes in the US: the ruling class, who won't be charged for clear violations because they might be able to get off, and the rest of us. Who will be charged for anything and everything they can think of.

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  4. Will that include Guccifer? by zedaroca · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "I received and accepted their unanimous recommendation that the thorough, year-long investigation be closed and that no charges be brought against any individuals within the scope of the investigation."

    We know about her crime because Guccifer was involved in exposing it. Will they retract the charges against him? Or the only chargeable crime in America is to expose what the law says is a crime?

  5. You realize by johnsmithperson123 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    That "extremely careless" is more or less the definition of gross negligence.

  6. Such faith in the delegates by Lead+Butthead · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You assumed the delegates have moral fiber.
    People of good character can't this far in the political process.

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  7. FBI director announced she IS guilty, won't prosec by raymorris · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The director stated in his news conference that Clinton was "extremely careless" with classified information on at least 110 occasions. It's federal crime to be "grossly negligent" in handling classified information. Essentially, he announced "she's guilty on 110 counts, but we won't prosecute".

  8. Wow by wwalker · · Score: 4, Insightful

    "Although there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case," Comey said.

    If this was said by their local version of FBI anywhere in Russia, China, Brasil, etc., everyone would be crying foul how that country is corrupt and how FSB, PSB, "FBI", etc. is clearly intimidating prosecutors not to bring any cases against an oligarch, even though there is evidence they violated the law (gross negligence). And how "important figures" in those countries are above the law. I'm so glad USA is not one of "those countries"!

  9. omg by Smiddi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Hillary vs Trump. The rest of the world is shaking its head at the stupidity of the Americans for letting things get to this point.

    1. Re:omg by fnj · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Hillary vs Trump. The rest of the world is shaking its head at the stupidity of the Americans for letting things get to this point.

      The rest of the world can get stuffed. All are in the same boat. The UK goes from Major to Cameron; both are assholes. Germany puts up with that witch. Hollande is the best that France can come up with? Venezuela let Chavez ruin their economy, only to have his successor make it exponentially worse. China is ruled with an iron fist by one bunch of ancient fossils after another.

      The only bright spot might be Switzerland. ALL other governments are dens of incompetency, corruption, and evil oligarchy.

  10. Re:Sign the petittion... by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If you think Clinton should be charged, then at least sign the petittion:

    Criminal prosecution by popular vote. There's absolutely nothing fascist about that.

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    You are welcome on my lawn.
  11. Mod parent up by rsilvergun · · Score: 4, Insightful

    this is how prosecution works. You don't bring forth a case you know you're gonna lose. I'm not huge fan of Hilary. I've got buddies that live and breath because the Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid enough for them to get their Meds. She's pretty much guaranteed to leave it alone so she gets my vote. But whatever side your on it'd be silly to try and prosecute her.

    All that said to be completely fair think about _why_ a prosecutor isn't confident with getting a conviction: because a jury wouldn't convict her. This is a criminal matter, so that's how these things work. This isn't the ruling class per-se. This is how our jury system works. It sometimes ignores law in favor of feelings. If you want to see an example of America's two tiered justice system ask any dirt poor man in jail for pot possession why he didn't get diverted to drug treatment like a pop star or even an attorney's son.

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  12. Re:FBI director announced she IS guilty, won't pro by Dcnjoe60 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Prisons are full of people who didn't "intend" to violate the law.

  13. Re:I would daresay... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If you find yourself declaring that the lack of evidence of wrongdoing is, in fact, evidence of wrongdoing, it's time to take a break and realize that you've become trapped in a self-referential delusion loop.

    its_time_to_stop_posting.jpg

  14. Re:Too bad we can't kill all the lawyers? by dbIII · · Score: 4, Insightful

    After Carter was driven from office for being honest we haven't seen a single person seriously running for the post who is going to make that mistake.
    You wanted people who are all show and no snow? You got them. AWOL Bush pushing his military service in Texas versus a war hero getting swift boated.

  15. Re: Sanders has an option by m6ack · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Colin Powell did NOT do the same thing. He did NOT use personal email to send ANY confidential, or even sensitive information over private email. He NEVER culled his email in an effort to hide anything. There was NEVER any question about his correspondence with anyone - and there was NEVER anything Colin Powel ever had to hide. That's why Colin Powel's integrity was NEVER in question. But on the other hand.... Mrs. Clinton is by the admission of the FBI guilty of gross negligence... With many emails on a private account classified or _greater_ basically made available in the public domain due to her wanting to have her relationship with Huma Abadeen or other side deals secret? I held a clearance. I hold that trust that the us government placed in me as an honor. Clearly, this woman feels that such a confidence is not an honor, but an inconvenience.