In a terse Op-Ed published in today’s New York Times, Richard Painter, the chief White House Ethics Lawyer in the Bush Administration from 2005-2007, explains why he filed a Complaint yesterday against FBI Director James Comey with the FBI’s Office Of Special Counsel, which investigates possible ethical violations within the Bureau. In particular, Painter explains why Comey’s inexplicable actions this week may warrant prosecution for abuse of power under the Hatch Act:
“I have spent much of my career working on government ethics and lawyers’ ethics, including two and a half years as the chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, and I never thought that the F.B.I. could be dragged into a political circus surrounding one of its investigations. Until this week.”
Painter, a former George W. Bush, Marco Rubio and John Kasich supporter, explains that had the Bureau made a similar public disclosure in its connection with the ongoing investigation ties between a certain presidential candidate and hacking of Americans’ emails by the Russian government, it would have equally constituted a breach of longstanding policy and an abuse of power. Specifically, the Hatch Act bars the use by a government official of his position to influence an election.
Etc. And again, Comey needs to be fired.
Zwinglius Redivivus 
Jim,
There is the 24/7 news cycle, constant polling, and the next election that begins immediately after the current election as everybody gets ready for the next election including the fund-raising, primaries and mid-terms, so it is always a time that any FBI investigation could influence somebodies election.
Should the FBI not undertake investigations into anybody who is (1) facing an election (2) closely associated with anybody facing an election?
If that is the case then all of the following types would have permanent immunity from investigation:
Politicians of both parties
Their families
Their staff
Their staff’s families – e.g. a certain guy who likes to send personal photos
Their major donors
Their major donors’ families
Is that what you are advocating?
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the fbi doesnt discuss ongoing investigations. period.
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Jim,
are you sure this is your principled position? I look in vain in your blog for any response to the following that was released to the public a few months ago while an FBI investigation was ongoing: “Statement by FBI Director James B. Comey on the Investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Use of a Personal E-Mail System”
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i’ve covered it now.
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Jim,
you “covered it” – now. But now is when Comey going public is bad for Clinton’s election chances and then was when Comey going public was good for Clinton’s election chances. This timing of yours seems a little biased
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well next up, comey covered for trump and his russian connections. so there’s that
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