FactChecking Trump's Criticism of the FBI
Hillary Clinton
President Donald Trump claimed that  Hillary Clinton  “lied many times to the FBI and nothing happened to  her .” In fact  the FBI director told Congress that there was “no basis to conclude  she  lied to the FBI.”
Trump also left the false impression that the FBI deviated from its standard practice by not putting  Clinton  under oath when  she  was interviewed last year about  her  email use while secretary of state. He claimed it was “the most incredible thing anyone has ever seen.” It’s not incredible or even unusual.
Trump  Dec. 4: I will say this:  Hillary Clinton  lied many times to the FBI and nothing happened to  her . Flynn lied and they destroyed his life. I think it’s a shame.  Hillary Clinton   on the Fourth of July weekend  went to the FBI  not under oath — it was the most incredible thing anyone has ever seen.  She  lied many times. Nothing happened to  her . Flynn lied  and it’s like they ruined his life. It’s very unfair.
Trump is referring to the FBI’s three-hour-plus interview with  Clinton  on July 2  2016  near the end of the agency’s investigation into whether  she  or  her  staff mishandled classified information. The investigation stemmed from  Clinton ’s decision to exclusively use a private email account and personal server when conducting official government business.
Three days after the FBI interviewed  Clinton   then-FBI Director James Comey announced that he would not recommend filing charges against  Clinton . He said that  she  and  her  staff were “extremely careless” in handling classified information  but the FBI did not find evidence that their actions were intentional.
The FBI also did not find that  Clinton  lied to the FBI  contrary to Trump’s claim.
After announcing the outcome of the FBI investigation  Comey testified on July 7  2016  before the House oversight committee about his decision not to recommend pressing charges. Chairman Jason Chaffetz specifically asked Comey if  Clinton  lied.
Chaffetz  July 7  2016: Did  Hillary Clinton  lie? Comey: To the FBI? We have no basis to conclude  she  lied to the FBI. Chaffetz: Did  she  lie to the public? Comey: That’s a question I’m not qualified to answer. I can speak about what  she  said to the FBI.
Republicans have long maintained that  Clinton  “lied” to the public about  her  email use. And we have certainly written numerous stories about how  Clinton  provided the public with false and misleading information about  her  email use.
That’s what happened in  Clinton ’s case. On Sept. 2  2016  the FBI released a summary of  Clinton ’s statements to the FBI.
As for  Clinton   the FBI had “no basis to conclude  she  lied to the FBI ” as Comey said. But  under the law  if  she  “knowingly and willfully” made false statements to conceal “a material fact ” then  she  could have been charged with a crime whether  she  was under oath or not.
President Donald Trump claimed that  [TGT]  “lied many times to the FBI and nothing happened to  her .” In fact  the FBI director told Congress that there was “no basis to conclude  she  lied to the FBI.”
Trump also left the false impression that the FBI deviated from its standard practice by not putting  Clinton  under oath when  she  was interviewed last year about  her  email use while secretary of state. He claimed it was “the most incredible thing anyone has ever seen.” It’s not incredible or even unusual.
Trump  Dec. 4: I will say this:  [TGT]  lied many times to the FBI and nothing happened to  [TGT] . Flynn lied and they destroyed his life. I think it’s a shame.  [TGT]   on the Fourth of July weekend  went to the FBI  not under oath — it was the most incredible thing anyone has ever seen.  [TGT]  lied many times. Nothing happened to  [TGT] . Flynn lied  and it’s like they ruined his life. It’s very unfair.
Trump is referring to the FBI’s three-hour-plus interview with  Clinton  on July 2  2016  near the end of the agency’s investigation into whether  she  or  her  staff mishandled classified information. The investigation stemmed from  [TGT] ’s decision to exclusively use a private email account and personal server when conducting official government business.
Three days after the FBI interviewed  [TGT]   then-FBI Director James Comey announced that he would not recommend filing charges against  [TGT] . He said that  she  and  her  staff were “extremely careless” in handling classified information  but the FBI did not find evidence that their actions were intentional.
The FBI also did not find that  [TGT]  lied to the FBI  contrary to Trump’s claim.
After announcing the outcome of the FBI investigation  Comey testified on July 7  2016  before the House oversight committee about his decision not to recommend pressing charges. Chairman Jason Chaffetz specifically asked Comey if  [TGT]  lied.
Chaffetz  July 7  2016: Did  Hillary Clinton  lie? Comey: To the FBI? We have no basis to conclude  she  lied to the FBI. Chaffetz: Did  she  lie to the public? Comey: That’s a question I’m not qualified to answer. I can speak about what  she  said to the FBI.
Republicans have long maintained that  Clinton  “lied” to the public about  her  email use. And we have certainly written numerous stories about how  Clinton  provided the public with false and misleading information about  her  email use.
That’s what happened in  Clinton ’s case. On Sept. 2  2016  the FBI released a summary of  Clinton ’s statements to the FBI.
As for  Clinton   the FBI had “no basis to conclude  she  lied to the FBI ” as Comey said. But  under the law  if  she  “knowingly and willfully” made false statements to conceal “a material fact ” then  she  could have been charged with a crime whether  she  was under oath or not.