FBI says Hillary Clinton did not lie

FBI director James Comey told legislators on Thursday that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton did not lie to the FBI about her handling of emails as secretary of state and did not break the law. Mr Comey told a Republican-led oversight panel in the US House of Representatives that no reasonable prosecutor would charge Ms Clinton with a crime over her use of private email servers while she was secretary of state, some of which were used to transmit classified information.

On Wednesday, the justice department announced no charges will be brought against Ms Clinton for using a private email server.

Attorney-general Loretta Lynch made the widely expected announc-ement following a meeting with FBI director James Comey as well as prosecutors and agents who led a high-profile investigation that has weighed heavily on Ms Clinton’s Democratic White House campaign. “I received and accepted their unanimous recommendation that the thorough, year-long investigation be closed and that no charges be brought against any individuals within the scope of the investigation,” Ms Lynch said in a statement.

The attorney-general had previously pledged to respect FBI and prosecutors’ decisions about whether to bring charges after it emerged that she met briefly with Ms Clinton’s husband, Bill, last week — prompting Republicans to cry foul over possible government interference.

But the FBI’s assessment found that Ms Clinton was “extremely careless” in sending classified information via her personal email account.

While the former First Lady can breathe a sigh of relief over avoiding criminal charges that could have ended her campaign, the damning FBI assessment could still complicate an increasingly tight race against Mr Trump.

He and fellow Republic-ans immediately seized on the findings to brand Ms Clinton a liar and charge that the system was rigg-ed. “She made so many false statements,” Mr Tru-mp said at a campaign rally in Cincinnati, Ohio on Wednesday evening. “Is she going to be brought before Congress or something Is something going to happen It’s a disgrace”

“She’s crooked Hillary. That’s all you have to know,” the Republican White House hopeful said.

He went on to accuse Bill Clinton of bribing Ms Lynch during his meeting with her, alluding to reports that Ms Clinton is considering retaining the attorney-general if she wins the election in November.

Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus called the attorney-general’s a decision a “slap in the face” to many Americans.

“Those who have mishandled classified information have had their security clearances revoked, lost their jobs, faced fines, and even been sent to prison, yet Hillary Clinton is being allowed to play by a different set of rules,” he said in a statement.