Calling her “Crooked Hillary” is sounding more and more accurate as of late, but “Teflon Clinton” rings even truer. Nothing ever seems to stick to Hillary Clinton.
Following FBI Director James Comey’s rebuke of Clinton’s handling of emails on a private server, it’s clear the former first lady and Secretary of State is guilty of at least two things: hubris and negligence.
During a July 5 news conference, Comey said the FBI found no intent “to violate laws governing the handling of classified information,” then added, “there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.”
The problem with Comey’s assessment is that Clinton repeatedly lied when questioned about the server, which shows intent to mislead government officials and the American people. We now know that Clinton used multiple digital devices, stored classified and top secret documents on a personal server, and her attorneys failed to review all the emails in question — all of which contradict Clinton’s previous statements.
Comey went on to say the FBI would not recommend criminal charges. We’re left scratching our heads, because the FBI has pursued charges against lesser known U.S. citizens for far less.
Americans who feel outraged by Comey’s decision will have to settle for his televised scolding of Clinton. They can express that outrage at the ballot box, but given her competition, we doubt there will be many consequences.
We have little doubt that Clinton believed herself to be in the right when using a personal server to store and save emails as Secretary of State, which is where her hubris comes into play. The Clintons have been plagued by more than a dozen scandals over the years going back to Whitewater, but they have emerged unscathed every time. Not only did Hillary Clinton emerge unscathed, but her influence and power has continued to grow. If Clinton thinks she’s above the law, it’s because time and again she’s proven to be.
Clinton also is without question guilty of gross negligence, which Comey said is not a crime she can be charged with. It should be. As a former first lady, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State, if she can’t be trusted to protect U.S. secrets, who can be? Americans should expect more from Clinton, and she needs to expect more from herself if she’s to lead the free world. Ego and recklessness should have no place in American politics. Or habitual lying, for that matter.
None of this should be read as us supporting Donald Trump. The bombastic billionaire is guilty of the same sins. His ego is every bit as large as Clinton’s, if not bigger. And Trump, too, is reckless — every time he opens his mouth or sends a tweet, we’re given more evidence of it.
What Americans will have to decide in the fall is the lesser of two evils. The way we see it, neither candidate deserves the trust of the American people, but we have to put faith in one of them nonetheless.
