The Dept. of Justice's watchdog faults former FBI Director James Comey for breaking with protocol in his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, but it says his decisions before the 2016 elections were not driven by political bias. (June 14)

RESTRICTION SUMMARY: AP CLIENTS ONLY

SHOTLIST:

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Washington - 14 June 2018
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Reporter:
"The Justice Department inspector general today issued a 500 page report on the FBI its handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation. The document is a scathing indictment of Director Comey and the FBI and the decisions that they made during the course of the Clinton investigation. However it is very important to note that they do not find that Director Comey or senior leadership acted with political bias to support one candidate over another and that is significant because President Donald Trump has repeatedly alleged that the FBI is politically biased against him."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Washington - 14 June 2018
2. Various close of DOJ's IG Report (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

POOL
FILE: Washington DC - 22 January 2017
3. Pan right from James Comey to US President Donald Trump, they shake hands (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

US NETWORK POOL - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Joint Base Andrews - 13 June, 2018
4. US President Donald Trump walks to waiting SUV (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)


ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
5.Split screen composition :(PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)
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New York - 15 August 2017
(LEFT) FILE PHOTO - President Donald Trump speaks to the media in the lobby of Trump Tower, Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017
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Washington - 29 October 2016
(RIGHT) FILE PHOTO - In this Sept. 27, 2016 file photo, FBI Director James Comey testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington


ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Washington - 21 June 2017
6. FILE PHOTO - Special Counsel Robert Mueller departs the Capitol after a closed-door meeting with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee about Russian meddling in the election and possible connection to the Trump campaign, in Washington, Wednesday, June 21, 2017. (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Washington - 14 June 2018
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Reporter:
"President Donald Trump fired Director Comey last year, last May. And the stated rationale at the time was his handling of the FBI email server investigation. He then later said that he was thinking about this Russia thing. That action is now central to Robert Muellers investigation of Special Counsel into whether the president sought to obstruct justice. So to the extent that this report absolves the president of wrongdoing in the sense of firing Director Comey because it was a justified action because call me erred. I'm sure the president is going to look to use that as vindication."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Washington - 30 April 2018
8. FILE PHOTO - President Donald Trump and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari walk from the Oval Office before a news conference in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Monday, April 30, 2018 (PARTIALLY COVERS UPCOMING SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Washington - 14 June 2018
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Reporter:
"The IG report is separate from the investigation into Russian collusion."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Washington - 14 June 2018
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Reporter:
"This is a document that will exist in history as a real chronicle of how the FBI came to be entangled in presidential politics but whether it leads to administrative sanctions or additional criminal charges somehow remains to be seen."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Washington - 14 June 2018
11. Various close of DOJ's IG Report (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Washington - 14 June 2018
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Eric Tucker, Associated Press Reporter:
"The FBI does agree with the conclusions that were taken and made by the inspector general."

ASSOCIATED PRESS - AP CLIENTS ONLY
Washington - FILE: Exact date unknown
13. Various exteriors of FBI (PARTIALLY COVERS PREVIOUS SOUNDBITE)



STORYLINE:

The Associated Press's Eric Tucker reports the findings of The Justice Department's watchdog which faults former FBI Director James Comey for breaking with established protocol in his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, but it says his decisions before the 2016 elections were not driven by political bias, according to a person familiar with the findings.

The report from the inspector general also criticizes Comey for not keeping his superiors at the Justice Department, including then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch, properly informed about his handling of the investigation, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the report is not yet public.

The report's findings were made public Thursday.

It represents the culmination of an 18-month review into one of the most consequential FBI investigations in recent history.

The report has long been expected to criticize the FBI's handling of the Clinton email probe, stepping into a political minefield while examining how a nonpartisan law enforcement agency became entangled in the 2016 presidential race.

The IG's criticism of Comey's actions was first reported by Bloomberg.

President Donald Trump is looking to the report to provide a fresh line of attack against Comey and his deputy, Andrew McCabe, as he claims that a politically tainted bureau tried to undermine his campaign and, through the later Russia investigation, his presidency.

Tucker explains "it is very important to note that they do not find that director Comey or senior leadership acted with political bias to support one candidate over another,"

He says "that is significant because President Donald Trump has repeatedly alleged that the FBI is politically biased against him."

Trump is certain to try to use the report to validate his firing of Comey last year.

Tucker writes that the report could do more to back Democratic claims that the FBI actually contributed to Trump's victory, most notably by reopening in the final days of the race its investigation into whether Clinton mishandled classified information.

That development unfolded as Trump's own campaign - unbeknown at the time to the American public - also came under FBI investigation for possible coordination with Russia.

Tucker states that "the IG report is separate from the investigation into Russian collusion."

Inspector General Michael Horowitz, a former federal prosecutor appointed by President Barack Obama, prepared the report.
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