White House calls FBI probe into Clinton’s classified emails a ‘criminal investigation’ – to glee of Republicans – on the same day Obama endorses her
Within an hour of Barack Obama’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton, his spokesman acknowledged that she faces a ‘criminal investigation’
The misstep sent Republicans cackling to reporters
Clinton faces the possibility of prosecution for housing classified documents on a private email server
She used the homebrew setup for all her emails – including sensitive government matters – when she was secretary of state
White House press secretary Josh Earnest insisted that the endorsement wouldn’t be interpreted inside the FBI as a signal to let her off the hook
See more of the latest news on the FBI probe into Hillary Clinton’s emails
By DAVID MARTOSKO, US POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 16:22 EST, 9 June 2016 | UPDATED: 04:46 EST, 10 June 2016
Barack Obama’s spokesman described the FBI’s probe into Hillary Clinton’s classified email scandal as a ‘criminal investigation’ on Thursday, less than an hour after the president endorsed his embattled former secretary of state to succeed him.
Josh Earnest told reporters during a White House press briefing that Obama was committed to keeping his hands off the investigation, trusting career investigators and prosecutors to follow evidence wherever it leads.
‘That’s what their responsibility is,’ Earnest said. ‘And that’s why the president, when discussing this issue in each stage, has reiterated his commitment to this principle that any criminal investigation should be conducted independent of any sort of political interference.’