The Washington Examiner - GOP Lawmakers Renewing Push for Clinton Independent Counsel

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By Rudy Takala

Florida Rep. Bill Posey, R-Fla., is trying to get congressional Republicans to step up their call for a special counsel to be appointed in the investigation of Hillary Clinton.

Posey circulated a letter Wednesday asking his colleagues to join him in demanding Attorney General Loretta Lynch make the appointment. Posey said that President Obama's endorsement last week of Clinton's presidential campaign meant the administration could no longer be trusted to be impartial.

"When Hillary Clinton became the presumptive nominee of a major party, it marked the first time in our nation's history that any candidate would seek our nation's highest office while under investigation by the FBI and DOJ," Posey wrote.

"The former secretary's deep ties to this administration, the administration's vested interest in a victory for a favored successor, and the [inspector general's] confirmation of some degree of misconduct, have created the extraordinary circumstances necessary to merit the appointment of a special counsel," he added. "Our letter presents attorney Attorney General Lynch with the compelling case to appoint an independent third-party to lead the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of an unsecure, private email server and the ensuing mishandling of classified information."

The letter was circulated at an afternoon session of the Republican Study Committee, a group of 172 center-right members in the House. It was not immediately clear how many members were prepared to support the movement, though Posey is not the first to propose the idea. The Senate's second-ranking Republican, Texas Sen. John Cornyn, has been particularly vocal in calling for the appointment to be made.

Republicans have questioned the ability of the Justice Department to deal with Clinton impartially more than once. Campaign finance records revealed in May that Justice Department employees had contributed nearly $75,000 to the candidate's presidential campaign, which critics said was more evidence of the need for a special investigator.

In the absence of an independent counsel, the Justice Department will decide whether to indict Clinton for flouting federal record laws after investigators make a recommendation. However, FBI Director James Comey has said that event could still be months away.

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