On Sunday afternoon, FBI director James Comey announced that the agency’s newest investigation of Clinton turned up nothing new. The latest enquiry was prompted when emails pertaining to the FBI’s closed investigation of Clinton were discovered on a computer belonging to Anthony Weiner, estranged husband of Clinton aide Huma Abedin. The Skidmore News Editorial Board was surprised at the speed of the investigation and, given the influence the announcement could make on the presidential election, is in agreement with many pundits that the Director should not have introduced the investigation to the public before the Bureau was able to go through the evidence and deliver a decision.
Comey’s actions could inevitably sway voters—including those who took advantage of early voting during the eight days Hillary was under suspicion. Therefore, we believe that Comey should be indicted for violating the Hatch Act, a piece of legislation passed in 1939 to limit the partisan influence that agencies may have on elections. Whether or not he intended to use his position to influence the election, Comey repeatedly delivered unfair judgment on a candidate running for office. Sunday’s announcement only serves as another example of his incompetence.
This misstep, which is nearly unprecedented in modern times, has corrupted the integrity of the FBI. If Comey does not resign, the Department of Justice should ask for the Director’s resignation, or prepare to indict him.
One major ramification of Comey’s actions is that they have provided further validation for the Trump campaign, which continues to falsely accuse Clinton of crimes she did not commit. On Sunday afternoon, Comey tried to correct himself with his announcement that Clinton would not face charges, but instead Comey continued to fuel Trump’s recent statements that the system is “rigged.” “You can’t review 650,000 emails in eight days,” Trump complained to a Michigan crowd after the decision. In this case, the system is rigged, but not in the way Trump suggested. The Director has compromised our justice system at a time when Americans are relying on it the most.