Today, while he gave testimony to Congress
about his disclosure to the Congress, less than two weeks before the November 8, 2016 election, a letter regarding possible new emails in the already officially closed case opened to investigate Hillary Clinton’s emails and personal server; FBI Director James Comey admitted to the world at large that he had violated the Hatch Act.
The Hatch Act is a federal law
which is designed to keep federal employees from using their position as a federal employee to interfere with or influence US elections.
This is the very first section of the Law:
5 U.S. Code § 7323 - Political activity authorized; prohibitions
(a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b), an employee may take an active part in political management or in political campaigns, except an employee may not—
(1)
use his official authority or influence for the purpose of interfering with or affecting the result of an election;
During today’s testimony to Congress, Comey says:
One of my junior lawyers said, “Should you consider that what you’re about to do may help elect Donald Trump president?”
Comey’s reply?
“I said, ‘Thank you for raising that. Not for a moment. Because down that path lies the death of the FBI as an independent institution in America.”
Listen to it from his own lips.
It’s practically unbelievable that James Comey is unaware of the Hatch Act.
References to it and information about it abounds on the Department of Justice website:
US Department of Justice on Political Activities by federal employees
US Department of Justice on federal employee Standards of Conduct and the Hatch Act
Office of Special Counsel and the Hatch Act Poster
and this online .pdf letter from the Office of the Attorney General (Comey’s boss):
Election Year Sensitives which contains this paragraph:
Simply put, politics must play no role in the decisions of federal investigators or
prosecutors regarding any investigations or criminal charges. Law enforcement officers and prosecutors may never select the timing of investigative steps or criminal charges for the purpose of affecting any election, or for the purpose of giving an advantage or disadvantage to any candidate or political party. Such a purpose is inconsistent with the Department's mission and with the Principles of Federal Prosecution.
What he also revealed about his letter to the Congress less than two weeks before the election of November 8, 2016 BEFORE he wrote and sent that letter?
That he knew that the contents of the letter would be leaked to the public.
Which makes him self-identified as a violator of the Hatch Act, by his own words and actions.
Director of the FBI, James Comey, needs to resign immediately and be charged and prosecuted for this egregious violation of a law his own Agency is supposed to enforce.
It’s as plain as the words coming directly from his own lips.