Ronald Kessler, a former Washington Post investigative reporter, is the author of “The Secrets of the FBI” and “The First Family Detail: Secret Service Agents Reveal the Hidden Lives of the Presidents.”
By Ronald Kessler
For the Washington Times
Rarely has the FBI been so embroiled in public controversy. And never has so much misinformation about its workings been so prevalent.
At a recent luncheon meeting of the Washington chapter of the Society of Former FBI Agents, Michael Steinbach, the FBI’s executive assistant director in charge of national security investigations, tried to straighten some of it out.
Mr. Steinbach told the 80 former FBI agents in attendance that while FBI Director James Comey made the final decision on the case, Mr. Steinbach himself supervised the FBI’s investigation of Hillary Clinton’s handling of her emails, according to John L. Martin, a former FBI agent who attended the lunch meeting.
About 25 FBI personnel worked on the case, Mr. Steinbach said. Contrary to what seems to be a given in some media circles, no rebellion of FBI agents has taken place because of Mr. Comey’s decision not to prosecute the presidential candidate. In fact, according to Mr. Martin, Mr. Steinbach said all of those who worked on the case said they agreed with Mr. Comey’s decision.
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