Eric Holder: James Comey is a 'good man,' but made 'a serious error'

Eric Holder served as U.S. attorney general from 2009 to 2015, and in an op-ed for The Washington Post published Sunday night, he wrote he understands the "gravity" of the work done by the Justice Department in order to "uphold the rule of law and be fair." That's why, he said, he was "deeply concerned" about FBI Director James Comey's choice to "write a vague letter to Congress about emails potentially connected to a matter of public, and political, interest. That decision was incorrect."

In the letter he sent to Congress on Friday, Comey said new emails were found in connection with the investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server, but there was no way of knowing at the moment if the material is "significant." Holder explained that this violated longtime Justice Department policies and traditions, including not commenting on ongoing investigations and not taking unnecessary actions close to an election. When Comey held a press conference in July before announcing his recommendation that Clinton not face charges, it was a "stunning breach of protocol" which "may set a dangerous precedent for future investigations," Holder said. "It was wrong." With this new letter, Comey has allowed "misinformation to be spread by partisans with less pure intentions."

Holder said he is afraid Comey "unintentionally and negatively affected public trust in both the Justice Department and the FBI." It was "difficult" to write the op-ed because Holder knows Comey as a "man of integrity," he added, but "good men make mistakes. In this instance, he committed a serious error with potentially severe implications." It's up to Comey to "dispel the uncertainty he has created before Election Day" and "correct his mistake — not for the sake of a political candidate or campaign but in order to protect our system of justice and best serve the American people." Read the entire op-ed at The Washington Post.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up