Comey: Assumption Clinton would win factored into decisions in email investigation

Former FBI Director James Comey said he thinks his assumption that Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 presidential election influenced decisions he made regarding the probe into the Democratic nominee’s private email sever.

Comey was asked during an interview on ABC News for a response to Clinton saying Comey’s letter shortly before the election announcing the FBI was going to look back into the email investigation ensured her defeat.

“I hope not,” Comey said during the interview. 

{mosads}He added that he hopes people will try to put themselves in his shoes. He said he was not trying to help or hurt a candidate, but was trying to do the right thing.

He was further pressed on whether his decision was influenced by his assumption that Clinton was going to win the election.

“It must have been. I don’t remember consciously thinking about that, but it must have been because I was operating in a world where Hillary Clinton was going to beat Donald Trump, and so I’m sure that it was a factor,” he said.

“I don’t remember spelling it out, but it had to have been, that she’s going to be elected president and if I hide this from the American people, she’ll be illegitimate the moment she’s elected, the moment this comes out,” he added.

Comey added that at the FBI he could never consider whose political fortunes would be affected by a decision.

Clinton has in the past blamed her election loss on Comey.

She has said she was on track to win until late October, when news broke that Comey had sent a letter to Congress announcing the FBI was reviewing additional emails regarding the investigation into her private email server.

Later, just before the election, Comey announced those emails contained no new information.