FBI Director Comey Announces No Criminal Charges Against Clinton

Comey: “No Charges Are Appropriate In This Case.” FBI Director James Comey announced on July 5 that he would not refer criminal charges to the Department of Justice relating to the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she served as secretary of state, saying that “no charges are appropriate in this case.” Comey said the investigation “was done competently, honestly, and independently,” and that “No outside influence of any kind was brought to bear.” [Statement by FBI Director James B. Comey on the Investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s Use of a Personal E-Mail System, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 7/5/16]

Right-Wing Media Claim “The Fix Is In”

Conservative Blogger Instapundit: “The Fix Was In.”

The fix was in. https://t.co/ki6b3vdpzW

— Instapundit.com (@instapundit) July 5, 2016

 [Twitter, 7/5/16]

Townhall’s Kurt Schlichter: “The Fix Is In.”

Opps. I was too optimistic. The fix is in. @hughhewitt

— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) July 5, 2016

 [Twitter, 7/5/16]

Conservative Commentator Ben Shapiro: “11:20 A.M. ET: FBI Announces No Charges Against Hillary. 2:25 P.M. ET: Obama Campaigns With Hillary. Yeah, No Fix Or Anything.”

11:20 a.m. ET: FBI announces no charges against Hillary.

2:25 p.m. ET: Obama campaigns with Hillary.

Yeah, no fix or anything.

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 5, 2016

 [Twitter, 7/5/16]

Conservative Radio Host Mark Davis: “The Coverup Is On.”

The coverup is on. #Comey

— Mark Davis (@MarkDavis) July 5, 2016

 [Twitter, 7/5/16]

Fox’s Eric Bolling: The “Entire Investigation’s Been A Glaring Example Of A Conflict Of Interest.”

It's not up to the FBI to decide - should have been jury - esp since entire investigation's been a glaring example of a conflict of interest

— Eric Bolling (@ericbolling) July 5, 2016

 [Twitter, 7/5/16]

Buck Sexton: “The Fix Was In From Day 1, My Friends.”

FBI Director Comey just pushed Hillary Clinton's presidential bid to the 5 yard line. The fix was in from day 1, my friends.

— Buck Sexton (@BuckSexton) July 5, 2016

 [Twitter, 7/5/16]

New Hampshire Union Leader’s Grant Bosse: “Comey’s Copping Out.”

Comey's copping out. 113 classified emails and no case?

That's absurd.

— Grant Bosse (@grantbosse) July 5, 2016

 [Twitter, 7/5/16]

HotAir Editor Larry O’Connor: “This Is Why Reasonable People Believe The System Is Rigged.”

This is why reasonable people believe the system is rigged.

— Larry O'Connor (@LarryOConnor) July 5, 2016

 [Twitter, 7/5/16]

Seth Mandel: “The Clintons Corrupt Everything They Touch. Comey And Lynch Now Join The Party.”

The Clintons corrupt everything they touch. Comey and Lynch now join the party.

— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) July 5, 2016

 [Twitter, 7/5/16]

The Resurgent’s Erick Erickson: “If Hillary Clinton Were A Man, She’d Be Indicted.” Conservative blogger Erick Erickson wrote in a July 5 article that “if Hillary Clinton were a man, she’d be indicted,” arguing that she wasn’t indicted “because she is a female with the last name Clinton. Any one of you reading this right now would have been indicted.” [The Resurgent, 7/5/16]

Fox's Sean Hannity: “If You Don't Think The Fix Is In Here, You Do Not Understand Your Government Today.” Fox’s Sean Hannity said on the July 5 edition of his radio show The Sean Hannity Show, “If you don't think the fix is in here, you do not understand your government today. This government is corrupt at its core. This government is incestuously corrupt.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 7/5/16]

Fox Guest Jay Sekulow: “I’ll Tell You Something, The Fix Was In On This From The Beginning.” Frequent Fox News guest Jay Sekulow claimed “the fix was in on this from the beginning,” later adding “where Donald Trump's right is the fix was in on this. It's not just a rigged system, it's a system that has a complete disregard for the rule of law.” Sekulow also claimed that “the American people have been the ones duped here.” From the July 5 edition of Fox News' The Real Story:

JAY SEKULOW: So Jim Comey, laid out -- and I have a lot of respect for Jim, but I’ll tell you something, the fix was in on this from the beginning. We saw the beginning of this last week when Bill Clinton entered Loretta Lynch’s airplane.

[...]

And there's something else here that is really I think upsetting to the American people. Look, at the end of the day, Loretta Lynch was going to have to make this call one way or the other. But when we know those emails from Hillary Clinton went to Barack Obama, that case was never being prosecuted. And that's why I call this a faux investigation. It was a faux investigation from the start. It concluded as a faux investigation. Jim Comey ran out of that room today. Why? He ran out of that room because some reporter was going to ask him, excuse me, Mr. Director, but isn't extreme carelessness gross negligence under the statute? And the answer to that of course would be yes. And that would be the violation of law. But he didn't want to answer any questions. So they're trying to put this away politically. But again, the American people have been the ones duped here. But I think the American people understand exactly what's at play. And where Donald Trump's right is the fix was in on this. It's not just a rigged system, it's a system that has a complete disregard for the rule of law and that doesn't bode well for America. [Fox News, The Real Story, 7/5/16]

Conservatives Have Lauded Comey’s “Impeccable Integrity” And Ability To Investigate With Impartiality

Right-Wing Media Figures Have Spent Months Praising Comey’s Reputation And Impartiality. Several right-wing media figures have previously lauded Comey’s “impeccable integrity” and ability to conduct an “honest investigation,” with many noting that Comey “is a man of principle” and “seems sincerely dedicated to keeping [the investigation] above politics.” [Media Matters, 7/1/16]

Law Experts And Media Have Previously Said No Charges Would Be Brought Forth In The Investigation

Legal Analysts, Law Experts, And Media Figures Have Previously Noted There Is No “Legal Culpability” With Clinton’s Use Of A Private Server. Several legal analysts have previously explained that “there doesn’t seem to be a legitimate basis for any sort of criminal charges against” Clinton, and that it would be a “stretch” to say that criminal charges were warranted. [Media Matters, 4/5/16]

This post has been updated with additional examples.