Amazing

Eric Felten at the mostly but not entirely cucked-out Weekly Standard.

Agent 1 was one of the key players in the investigation--one of just four "case agents" on the probe--and he not only expressed his political support for Clinton, he advocated against subjecting Hillary to an FBI interview....

Just in case his girlfriend didn’t savvy the full extent of his disgruntlement at the prospect of interviewing Hillary Clinton, Agent 1 added "My god ...I'm actually starting to have embarrassment sprinkled on my disappointment. ....Ever been forced to do something you adamantly opposed."

Asked by the IG about these comments, Agent 1 insisted he hadn’t meant his message: "I don't want to make it sound like there was no reason to interview her." As for explaining his "adamantly oppose"” comments, Agent 1's memory seemed to give out.

There are reasons to think that Agent 1 was dissatisfied because the organization was phoning in a politically determined investigation. But there are also reasons to think his unhappiness flowed from an admiration for Hillary. Take his message to Agent 5 after completing the questioning of Clinton: "done interviewing the President."

And then there’s this heartfelt string of missives from Agent 1 to Agent 5 on November 8, 2016--election day: "You should know; ...that I'm ...with her.” (The IG helpfully adds in a footnote that "I'm with her" was one of the Clinton campaign slogans.”)

Here are some of the highlights of Agent 1's comments about his work on the “Midyear” investigation as the Clinton case was code-named:

">.. the most meaningless thing I've ever done with people acting like f---ing 9/11.”

"… I dont care about it. I think its continued waste of resources and time and focus..."

"Its just so obvious how pointless this exercise is ..."

Put on the spot by the IG, Agent 1 explained his indiscreet comments as just being the nature of using instant messaging. He succumbed to a "water cooler" style of "jocularity" because he thought IMs "were not retained by the FBI and therefore used less caution with those communications than he would have with other types of communications."

...

Agent 5 sent an instant message to Agent 1 on February 9, 2016, griping about the Midyear work she was being given to do. Agent 1 messaged back to commiserate: "Yeah, I hear you. You guys have a shitty task, in a shitty environment," he wrote. "To look for something conjured in a place where you cant find it, for a case that doesnt matter and is predestined." It's bad enough that a lead agent on the Clinton case was convinced the outcome was "predestined," but there’s more in Agent 1's description of the culture they were operating in: "DOJ comes in there every once in awhile and takes a wishy-washy, political, cowardice stance. Salt meets wound. That is the environment love. Can't sugar coat it.” At least he followed by telling his girlfriend to “do the best you can."

That sounds like a frank and honest description of a politically skewed shop. But when asked about that message, Agent 1 had another message altogether for the IG: "I have no information that [the Clinton investigation] was a pre-determined outcome by anyone." No, of course not.

And don't forget Agent 1 and Agent 5's other work:

posted by Ace of Spades at 12:31 PM

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