Former Attorney General Eric Holder expressed disappointment and disbelief that FBI Director James Comey “violated longstanding Justice Department policies and tradition” by sending his October Surprise letter to Congress about potential new evidence in the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails. Writing in the Washington Post, Holder attests: “I served with Jim Comey, and I know him well. This is a very difficult piece for me to write. He is a man of integrity and honor. I respect him. But good men make mistakes. In this instance, he has committed a serious error with potentially severe implications.”
Holder believes that Comey is now responsible for cleaning up his mess. “It is up to the director to correct his mistake,” Holder writes, “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.” Critics like Holder say Comey essentially tampered with the election by casting further suspicion on Clinton (without any releasing any facts) so close to election day. Defenders of Comey say that his withholding the new information would have been equally unfair to the electorate.
