Ranking Member Cohen: For the Good of the FBI and Nation, Comey Must Resign

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, tonight released the following statement again calling on FBI Director James Comey to resign:

"Nine days ago, F.B.I. Director James Comey sent a letter to members of Congress stating that emails had been discovered that could be 'potentially related' to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's email server. Director Comey sent his letter, which immediately and predictably became campaign fodder, despite saying in the letter that he had no idea of 'the significance of this newly discovered collection of emails.' A week ago, I called on Director Comey to do the right thing and resign because his letter without any substance was plainly premature, careless and unprecedented in its potential impact upon a Presidential election.

Subsequently, it was learned that the emails in question had been in the possession of the F.B.I. for some time but had not been examined which makes his announcement of the existence of these emails without any idea of substance or significance more questionable and more careless, even 'extremely careless.'

As I suggested last week, Director Comey's letter was used as political fodder by Secretary Clinton's opponents during early voting. It was clearly foreseeable that his statement would be seized on by the Trump campaign and embellished, exaggerated and distorted to have an effect on the election, and in fact, that occurred.

Today, Director Comey sent another letter to members of Congress stating that after an examination of the emails nothing new has been found that would warrant bringing any charges against Secretary Clinton. This is precisely why Director Comey should not have made this statement last week because there was no there there. His judgment is now being questioned by Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike as well as his ability to put the Bureau first.

For the good of the F.B.I., our nation and whomever succeeds President Obama, Director Comey should resign and put our nation and the Bureau first.