6/ Moreover -- and this is a complicated one so stay with me -- the IG suggests that Strzok may have had bias that impacted a decision to not prioritize the Weiner computer issue -- though how this went down may have ultimately hurt Hillary Clinton.
7/ IG says "we did not have confidence that Strzok’s decision to prioritize the Russia investigation over following up on the Midyear-related investigative lead discovered on the Weiner laptop was free from bias." ("Midyear" = Clinton email investigation)
8/ IG specifically mentions the "We'll stop it" text. (p. 329) and says "Strzok might be willing to take official action to impact a presidential candidate’s electoral prospects."
9/ But how it played out is the exact opposite. Weiner laptop sat there from September 29 through Oct 27. IG believes the only thing that prompted FBI to finally act on Weiner laptop were "people outside of the FBI" (from US Attorney SDNY) asking about it
10/ IG makes it clear he doesn't believe any of the other explanations as to why FBI acted before end of October. He calls them "unpersuasive."
Start reading p. 328
justice.gov/file/1071991/d…
Start reading p. 328
justice.gov/file/1071991/d…
11/ IG: "The FBI had all the information it needed on September 29 to obtain the search warrant that it did not seek until more than a month later. The FBI’s neglect had potentially far-reaching consequences..." (p. 330)
12/ What were those "far-reaching consequences"? Comey going public with the warrant, notifying Congress and perhaps impacting the election. IG says it quite clearly.
13/ IG: "Comey told the OIG that,
had he known about the laptop in the beginning of October and thought the email review could have been completed before the election, it may have affected his
decision to notify Congress."
had he known about the laptop in the beginning of October and thought the email review could have been completed before the election, it may have affected his
decision to notify Congress."
14/ IG: "Comey told the OIG, 'I don’t know [if] it would have
put us in a different place, but I would have wanted to have the opportunity.'"
!!!!
put us in a different place, but I would have wanted to have the opportunity.'"
!!!!
15/ In other words, IG suspects Strzok was biased against Trump, and that may have influenced the decision to sit on the Weiner laptop for a month. Which might have ultimately set a course of events in motion that cost Clinton, his preferred candidate, the presidency.
