James Comey’s letter was main factor in my loss, says Hillary Clinton
Clinton says she takes responsibility for her election loss to Donald Trump, but also blames Russian interference, negative news coverage and misogyny
Washington — Hillary Clinton said "the most important factor" in her loss of the 2016 presidential election was former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) director James Comey’s letter to Congress a week before the vote, about new information found in the investigation of her use of a private e-mail server. "The determining factor was the intervention by Comey on October 28," the former secretary of state told NBC on Wednesday in what was billed as her first live TV interview since the election. "It stopped my momentum. It drove voters from me." "I was just dumbfounded. I thought, what was he doing?" said Clinton, who is promoting What Happened, her memoir of the campaign that went on sale this week. "He went way beyond his role in doing what he did." Clinton also said Comey, who President Donald Trump has said he fired while thinking about the investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russian meddling in the election, was terminated for the wrong reason.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.