Coats Statement on FBI Announcement Regarding Clinton Email Investigation

INDIANAPOLIS – Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, today issued a statement regarding the announcement by Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey that the agency is not recommending charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding her decision to store and transmit classified information from her personal system:

“While the FBI is not recommending indictment for Secretary Clinton, the agency’s investigation is a harsh indictment of her decision-making and judgement while serving in one of the most important positions in the U.S. government. Whether it was gross negligence or blatant disregard, it is undeniable that Secretary Clinton broke federal law and mishandled classified information, putting American lives at risk and endangering our national security. Handling our nation’s most important secrets is a high privilege that should never be taken lightly. The FBI confirmed today that Secretary Clinton put her own personal interests above the national security interests of our country. Secretary Clinton is campaigning for the office of president on the basis of her record, but her disregard for the rules and procedures that guide federal officials undermine the claim that her experience makes her best qualified to lead our country.”