Most Americans in a new poll say they disapprove of the FBI’s decision not to recommend charges for Hillary Clinton over her handling of classified information in emails while secretary of State.
A majority of Americans, 56 percent, disapproves of the FBI’s decision, according to the ABC News/Washington Post poll released Monday, while 35 percent approve.
{mosads}Similarly, more Americans than not are worried after the incident, with 57 percent saying the email case made them concerned about how Clinton would act as president, while 39 percent said the email issue was not related to how she’d act as president.
FBI Director James Comey announced last week that while Clinton and her aides were “extremely reckless” in their handling of classified information, he couldn’t justify bringing a case against her. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said she accepted the decision and declared the case closed.
Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, disputed the FBI’s finding that she acted carelessly in using a private email account and server for official government emails, saying Friday that “some of what was thought to be classified apparently was not.”
Despite the FBI decision, the yearlong investigation into her email practices has damaged her politically: 28 percent in the new poll are less likely to support Clinton, while 10 percent say they are more likely. A majority, 58 percent, says the outcome of the issue has had no difference.
Nearly 9 in 10 Republicans disagree with the FBI’s decision, and about two-thirds of Democrats approve of the decision not to pursue charges. Still, 3 in 10 of Clinton’s party faithful think the former secretary of State should have been charged in the case.
The survey of 519 adults was conducted July 6–7 via landlines and cellphones with a margin of error of 5 percentage points.
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