Lawmakers Refer Clinton, Comey and Lynch for Criminal Investigation

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (ANGELA WEISS/AFP/Getty Images) Former FBI Director James Comey, Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Eleven Republican members of the House of Representatives called for a criminal investigation of former senior Obama administration officials, including Hillary Clinton, James Comey, and Loretta Lynch.

The lawmakers referred a total of eight officials for criminal investigation in an April 18 letter (pdf) to Attorney General Jeff Sessions and FBI Director Christopher Wray. The letter lists a battery of potential criminal violations, citing that has surfaced since President Donald Trump took office.

The congressmen accuse Comey, the former FBI director, of investigative misconduct and obstruction in the Clinton-email investigation for his decision to exonerate Clinton before interviewing her and 17 key witnesses. They also accuse Comey of lying about the exoneration decision under oath. The lawmakers also point to evidence that Comey leaked classified information to a friend with the intention of getting it to the media.

The Republicans also demand a criminal investigation into Clinton, the former Secretary of State and presidential candidate, for concealing campaign payments she made through a law firm to Fusion GPS, the opposition research firm tasked with creating the infamous Steele dossier filled with false and unverified claims about Trump.

The lawmakers accuse Lynch, the former attorney general, of obstruction and investigative misconduct for threatening a Uranium 1 informant with reprisal if he spoke to investigators. They charge that then-deputy director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe, lied under oath on several occasions and authorized a leak in violation of FBI policy. Sessions fired McCabe based for the same violations.

The letter recommends an investigation into top FBI officials Peter Strzok and Lisa Page for their involvement in removing President Barack Obama’s name from the exoneration statement in the Clinton email probe.

Citing a prior criminal investigation referral by Rep. Devin Nunes, the congressmen also accuse Comey, McCabe, former Acting Attorney General Sally Yates, and former Acting Deputy Attorney General Dana Boente of signing a warrant application to surveil Trump campaign volunteer Carter Page. That warrant application was based largely on the unverified Steele dossier. The four officials are accused of depriving Page of his rights and of investigative misconduct.

Several members of the House Freedom Caucus signed the letter, including Reps. Dave Brat (R-Mich.), Andy Harris (R-Maryland), Andy Biggs (R-Ariz.), Jeff Duncan (R-South Carolina), Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Jody Hice (R-Georgia) and Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Representatives Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and Claudia Tenney (R-New York) also signed.