*By Alisha Haridasani*
The way that former FBI director James Comey handled the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email server broke protocol and damaged the Justice Department's reputation as an impartial law enforcement arm, the department’s Inspector General Michael Horowitz said.
“By departing so clearly and dramatically from FBI and department norms, the decisions negatively impacted the perception of the FBI and the department as fair administrators of justice,” Horowitz wrote in his highly-anticipated [report](https://www.justice.gov/file/1071991/download) released on Thursday.
The 500-page report also criticized two FBI agents ー Peter Strzok and Lisa Page ー for exchanging politically charged text messages. Many of those texts had been released, but in one previously undisclosed message, Strzok said the FBI "will stop" Trump from winning. "The conduct by these employees cast a cloud over the entire FBI investigation," the report said.
But, the Justice Department investigator concluded that Comey was not motivated by politics, despite the views of some members of the team.
"We found that Comey largely based his decisions on what he believed was in the FBI's institutional interests and would enable him to continue to effectively lead the FBI," the report said.
"I do not agree with all of the inspector general's conclusions, but I respect the work of his office and salute its professionalism," Comey said in a response to the report in [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/opinion/comey-clinton-inspector-general.html).
The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on the report on Monday. The report's findings will likely reanimate Senators on both sides of the aisle who were equally critical of Comey’s actions ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Republicans, especially President Trump, have said Comey’s decision not to recommend charges against Clinton was a clear ploy to help her win. Democrats point to Comey's public announcement a week before election day that he was reopening the investigation because of new evidence as the reason Clinton lost.
The inspector general's report may also give Trump more ammunition to try to discredit the Justice Department and the FBI as they continue to investigate whether his campaign worked with Russia during the 2016 race. Trump said he fired Comey last year over his role in the Russia investigation, which led to the appointment of Robert Mueller as special counsel.
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday signaled a cautious approach to future interest rate cuts, in sharp contrast with other Fed officials who have called for a more urgent approach. In remarks in Providence, Rhode Island, Powell noted that there are risks to both of the Fed’s goals of seeking maximum employment and stable prices. His approach is in sharp contrast to some members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee who are pushing for faster cuts.
President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the American media landscape have led to the suspension of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel.
Ben & Jerry’s co-founder Jerry Greenfield is leaving the ice cream brand after 47 years. He says the freedom the company used to have to speak up on social issues has been stifled
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate by a quarter-point Wednesday and projected it would do so twice more this year as concern grows at the central bank about the health of the nation’s labor market. The move is the Fed’s first cut since December and lowered its short-term rate to about 4.1%, down from 4.3%. Fed officials, led by Chair Jerome Powell, had kept their rate unchanged this year as they evaluated the impact of tariffs, tighter immigration enforcement, and other Trump administration policies on inflation and the economy. The only dissenter was Stephen Miran, the recent Trump-appointee.
After a late-night vote and last-minute ruling, the Federal Reserve began a key meeting on interest rate policy Tuesday with both a new Trump administration appointee and an official the White House has targeted for removal.
The Trump administration has issued its first warnings to online services that offer unofficial versions of popular drugs like the blockbuster obesity treatment Wegovy.
Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama says his new Cabinet will include an artificial intelligence “minister” in charge of fighting corruption. The AI, named Diella, will oversee public funding projects and combat corruption in public tenders. Diella was launched earlier this year as a virtual assistant on the government's public service platform. Corruption has been a persistent issue in Albania since 1990. Rama's Socialist Party won a fourth consecutive term in May. It aims to deliver EU membership for Albania in five years, but the opposition Democratic Party remains skeptical.
The Trump administration has asked an appeals court to remove Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve’s board of governors by Monday, before the central bank’s next vote on interest rates. Trump sought to fire Cook Aug. 25, but a federal judge ruled late Tuesday that the removal was illegal and reinstated her to the Fed’s board.
President Donald Trump's administration is appealing a ruling blocking him from immediately firing Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook as he seeks more control over the traditionally independent board. The notice of appeal was filed Wednesday, hours after U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb handed down the ruling. The White House insists the Republican president had the right to fire Cook over mortgage fraud allegations involving properties in Michigan and Georgia from before she joined the Fed. Cook's lawsuit denies the allegations and says the firing was unlawful. The case could soon reach the Supreme Court, which has allowed Trump to fire members of other independent agencies but suggested that power has limitations at the Fed.
Chief Justice John Roberts has let President Donald Trump remove a member of the Federal Trade Commission, the latest in a string of high-profile firings allowed for now by the Supreme Court.
