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12 July 2016•Update: 20 July 2016
WASHINGTON
Attorney General Loretta Lynch faced a congressional panel to answer questions about her decision not to bring charges against Hillary Clinton for her improper use of emails.
Addressing the House Judiciary Committee, Lynch said she had “no reason not to accept” recommendations by FBI Director James Comey that no charges were needed against the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee for her use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State.
Despite being pressed by lawmakers, Lynch deflected questions about her review process.
“As Attorney General it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on the underlying facts of the investigations or the legal basis for the team’s recommendation,” she said.
Noting her “pride and faith” in the investigative team, she said it “was composed of career prosecutors and seasoned agents”.
Lawmakers accused Lynch of being influenced by former President Clinton when the two met last month in Phoenix, Arizona.
"There was nothing about any investigations or any specific cases," she said in response to a question about whether the email investigation was discussed during the meeting she and her husband had with Clinton aboard a private plane. Lynch said Clinton wanted only to exchange pleasantries.
The former Secretary of State had maintained that she had not sent any classified information from her private email server but the FBI found 110 e-mails in 52 e-mail chains containing classified information at the time they were sent or received.
The issue of policing and discrimination against blacks was also raised by lawmakers as nationwide demonstrations are being held to protest the police shooting deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Philando Castile in St. Paul, Minnesota.
John Conyers of Michigan called for police reform, noting discrimination against blacks.
“In the time when African-Americans are 30 percent more likely than whites to be pulled while driving -- more than three times more likely to have their car searched and more than twice as likely to be shot by police, it is imperative that we restore public faith in our criminal justice system,” he said.
Lynch acknowledged the need to address the country’s racial tensions and said the key to the problem was communication.
“Listening to individuals who feel, for whatever reason, separated” may resolve the problem of alienation and maintain security in the country, she said.
