WASHINGTON (AP) — Tennessee Rep. Jim Cooper came to the defense of FBI Director James Comey on Capitol Hill Thursday as Comey was being grilled by Republicans over his handling of the Hillary Clinton classified email investigation.
Comey testified before a House committee this morning that while it was a serious mistake for then Secretary of State Clinton to send classified email using her personal account, the breach of security did not warrant criminal charges.
Republicans countered that a rank-and-file government worker who used an unclassified email system to conduct classified government business would have been charged with a crime.
But mid-state Democrat Jim Cooper urged Republicans on the panel to "calm down" and noted that many members of Congress use personal email accounts for official business just as Clinton did.
“I would be happy to join in such legislation to make sure that we’re not being hypocritical on this panel, that we’re holding ourselves to the same stnadards as Secretary Clinton, and not trying to accuse her of things that we may be guilty of ourselves.”
Director Comey told the committee he tries hard to apply the same investigative standard "whether you are rich or poor, white or black, old or young, famous or not known at all."