Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wants Hillary Clinton’s interview with the FBI made public as GOP lawmakers demand more information on the investigation into her private email server.
{mosads}”It’s pretty clear … that the American people would like to see what Hillary Clinton said to the FBI,” McConnell told reporters during his weekly press conference.
McConnell and Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) noted that lying to the agency was a punishable offense.
“There’s no particular penalty for lying to the public, unless the public get tired of it, but there’s a real penalty for lying about the FBI,” McConnell said.
McConnell’s comments came after Cornyn voiced support for releasing any information tied to the FBI’s probe, including the 3.5-hour interview that took place days before Comey’s announcement.
“Only when we get the complete investigation out, including that three-and-a-half hour interview with the FBI, will the American people have the information they need in order to make a final judgement,” the Senate’s No. 2 Republican said.
Republicans have demanded access to any information tied to the agency’s probe after FBI Director James Comey announced Tuesday he would recommend no charges against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for her use of a private server while secretary of State.
The GOP has united in opposition to the decision, and House committee chairmen plan to call both Comey and Attorney General Loretta Lynch to answer questions about the inquiry.
“The fact pattern presented by Director Comey makes clear Secretary Clinton violated the law. Individuals who intentionally skirt the law must be held accountable,” Oversight Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said in a Wednesday statement.
McConnell sidestepped a question Wednesday about whether presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump should get classified intelligence briefings, saying the focus is on Clinton.
“The question here is Hillary Clinton and her public explanation compared to her private representation to the FBI. We’re entitled to know all of that,” he said in response to the question on Trump.