They know from political interference
by digby
Senate Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) said Friday that he believed that the FBI could leak the results of its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server if “political interference” gets in the way of a prosecution.
“Is there going to be political interference? If there’s enough evidence to prosecute, will there be political interference?” Grassley said among reporters during a breakfast at the Des Moines A.M. Rotary club, according to the Des Moines Register. “And if there’s political interference, then I assume that somebody in the FBI is going to leak these reports and it’s either going to have an effect politically or it’s going to lead to prosecution if there’s enough evidence.”
A reporter followed up on Grassley’s supposition, asking him if he believed the FBI should leak what it finds.
“I wouldn’t be encouraging it because if it’s a violation of law, I can’t be encouraging a violation of law,” Grassley said. “This is kind of my own opinion, this is something I’ve heard.”
Right. It’s not “encouraging” for the Chairman of the senate Judiciary Committee to be telling the public that members of the FBI will leak information if they don’t like the decision of their bosses in the Department of Justice.
But he’s right that he’s “heard” it. He’s also seen it. During the Whitewater witch hunts, it happened all the time. They leaked whatever pieces of information they thought would politically harm their targets and and withheld the exculpatory evidence that led the DOJ (or the Independent Counsel) to be unable to to prosecute. There are plenty of conservative FBI agents, including the head of the FBI, who might like to try again to destroy a Democratic president. It’s uniquely irresponsible for a Senator to encourage them to do it. But it’s nothing new …
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