Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham grilled FBI Director Christopher Wray and Inspector General Michael Horowitz on bias within the FBI during the 2016 Clinton email investigation at a Monday Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.
WATCH:
The South Carolina senator began his questioning by confirming that Donald Trump was the nominee well before FBI agents Peter Strzok and Lisa Page exchanged their “unnerving” text messages.
“I’m going to read this text from Page to Strzok on August 8, after he got the nomination,” said Graham. “She says, ‘Trump is not ever going to become president, right? Right?’ Strzok responded, ‘No, no, he’s not. We’ll stop it.’ I don’t know how you feel about that, that’s pretty unnerving … So the head guy looking at Clinton on August 8 says, ‘We have to stop Trump.’ Now, was that just idle talk? A week later, here’s what they say to each other. Strzok text message to Lisa Page: ‘I want to believe the path you threw out for consideration to Andy’s office, that there’s no way he gets elected, but I’m afraid we can’t take that risk. It’s like an insurance policy in the unlikely event you die before you’re 40.’ That’s a week later.” (RELATED: Lindsey Graham Says Trump Deserves ‘Lion’s Share’ Of Credit If North Korean Deal Is Reached)
After confirming that the “Andy” being referred to was then-Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, Graham said, “So you have the deputy director meeting with the lead investigator of the Clinton e-mail investigation and Ms. Page, who is involved somehow, meeting in Andy’s office discussing taking out an insurance policy to make sure that Donald Trump doesn’t become president. Is that what you’re telling us?”
“I’ll be clear,” responded Horowitz. “I can’t speak to whether Mr. McCabe was there or not.”
“Did you ask Mr. McCabe?” asked Graham.
“We did,” said the IG. “He said he didn’t recall.”
“So one of them is lying,” said Graham. “So I want you to reopen this investigation and come back and tell us, do you believe Strzok or do you believe McCabe? None of this is normal, folks.”
WATCH:
The exchange continued as the South Carolina senator established that the FBI director was “concerned” about FBI agents expressing bias in favor of Hillary Clinton.
“Eventually concerned is enough already,” said Graham. “I’m very concerned, you know — one, I’m glad I don’t text and e-mail. That’s one thing I’m glad I don’t do. Circumstance — have you ever proved a case by circumstantial evidence, Director Wray?
“Yes,” responded the FBI director.
“Well, I’m going to write you a letter and talk about why you should reconsider your findings as to whether or not it affected the investigation,” said Graham. “When you add it up, as early as March, these people hated Trump and this investigation was anything but by the book and at the end of the day, what Comey did just blows me as way as much as it does ya’ll. I can’t believe that this happened to my FBI. I told you the story, Mr. Wray, Director Wray, about wanting to be part of the organization. Ya’ll were smart enough not to take me. The bottom line is if you’re on our side of the aisle, this really does hit you hard. We can’t just write it off. I think there was a lot of bias that did affect an investigation that is to me almost impossible to explain using any standard that I grew up with as a prosecutor or even a defense attorney.” (RELATED: Tucker Hammers Lindsey Graham For ‘Lying’ About Confidential Informant Not Being A Spy)