Caught

The FBI director, James Comey, is in a bind of his own making.  He has started another investigation of Hillary Clinton’s e-mail server just days before the election.  Democrats were quick to say it was a political move.  Comey said that he doesn’t “give a hoot” about the election implications of his decision and he is just doing his job.  The media are piling on and taking the Democrats point of view.  But what if Comey is telling the truth and he really doesn’t care about polls?  Could he have kept the investigation secret? Had he done so, he would have shown an interest in the election.  And, sooner or later, it would have leaked and caused a greater scandal.  The argument that he should have followed established rules is harder to rebut.  If any statements were to be made, it would be by the Justice department and not the FBI.  But the problem there is that the Justice department is politicized and is watching out for Hillary.  That, however, was not Comey’s concern.  This is a case in which transparency served no one, and Comey would have been far better off remaining silent even at the risk of Republicans calling the decision corrupt.  Instead, he has put himself and his agency in a bad light that will take time to change, probably starting with Comey’s firing.