Kathleen Konicki Response to Article by Mark Moore
In an article published May 14th, Mark Moore reported on former FBI Asst. Dir. John Kallstrom’s criticism of Comey’s conclusion that, while Clinton had been “extremely careless”, she had not violated the law. Kallstrom decried the conclusion that Clinton, with her background, did not know she had to protect highly classified information. He’s right, of course, but that’s old territory and misses other material.
Clinton was using private email to skirt the Freedom of Information Act and laws pertaining to the preservation of federal records She deleted emails by the hundreds of thousands. Her subversive use of private email was unlawful in intent and purpose, whether or not information was classified.
Further, her emails were subpoenaed. She would have had to sign an affidavit that her production was complete with the request, and she had to turn over not only emails in her actual possession but also those in her constructive possession, that is, those in her possession or control. Please don’t tell me you believe that Clinton didn’t know about Abedin’s back-up system. Prove it? Clinton had a duty to inquire about such things before telling the FBI that the emails had been deleted and no longer existed anywhere. The duty to inquire is standard law. The law is not an ass, ladies and gentlemen. It imposes a duty to conduct reasonable inquiry.
Hiding emails is obstruction of justice and lying on an affidavit is perjury. We were never supposed to find out about the emails on Abedin’s back-up system, and we never would have found out about them, if Abedin hadn’t been stupid enough to marry the likes of Weiner. Clinton was given a “pass” by the FBI on the classified issue, with Comey publicly defending her by saying that only a relatively small number of emails contained classified material.
How nice of you, Mr. Comey. And good riddance to you. Maybe now, with Comey gone, Clinton will face charges of obstruction of justice and perjury.
Former FBI official says promotion of interim director is ‘disgraceful’
By Mark Moore
Former top FBI official James Kallstrom said on Sunday that it’s “disgraceful” that Andrew McCabe is the acting director of the agency despite his wife’s cozy relationship to Hillary Clinton operatives.
“It’s actually disgraceful,” Kallstrom, the former assistant director of the FBI, told John Catsimatidis on his “Cats Roundtable” radio program. “Here’s a guy who’s still in the chain of command.”
McCabe, who took over as acting FBI director when President Trump fired James Comey last week, is married to Jill McCabe who took $467,500 from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s political action committee during her run for state senate.
She also received $207,788 from the Virginia Democratic Party, which is heavily influenced by Clinton loyalist McAuliffe.
The funds began flowing to Jill McCabe two months after the FBI launched its investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server in July 2015.
At that time, Andrew McCabe was promoted from running the bureau’s Washington field office to the No. 3 position at the FBI. She eventually lost to her GOP opponent.
“And Comey lets all this pass. He doesn’t do a thing about it. It’s an outrage,” Kallstrom said. “Today’s he’s the acting director and I hope in two or three days he’s no longer the acting director because he has no judgment. And it just shows that Comey has no common sense.”
Kallstrom also said Trump was right in dumping the former director.
“He had to go. And I am glad he went. And I think the president did exactly what he should do,” Kallstrom said.
He said Comey did a number of “foolish things,” but the worst was announcing last July that while Hillary Clinton was “extremely careless” in her handling of classified information, she did not intend to violate the law and shouldn’t be charged criminally.
” T hat’s just preposterous that this woman who spent eight years in the White House … was a senator, was secretary of state did not know you had to protect highly classified information. It’s just a farce,” said Kallstrom, who also headed up the FBI New York City office in the mid-1990s.
He said the “vast, vast majority” of FBI employees were offended by Comey’s handling of the investigation and the only way to restore the agency is to find a talented, skillful director.
“I think we just have to have a strong leader, he said. “Somebody with integrity, somebody that has an investigative background, somebody who has proven leadership that can inspire people to do the work.”
