Grassley casts doubt on FBI credibility in political inquiries

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday there is a 'cloud of doubt” hanging over the FBI's investigation into issues surrounding the 2016 election, and he has called on the Justice Department to closely scrutinize the bureau's investigations into politically charged matters.

Grassley, R-Iowa, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, raised the questions as FBI Director James Comey testified before the committee Wednesday and received hostile questions from lawmakers over the agency's role in the election.

The FBI has, since last year, been investigating Russian interference, including the possibility President Donald Trump's campaign might have been involved. Comey publicly acknowledged the inquiry in March. The bureau also spent months, including right up to shortly before Election Day last year, looking into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server.

In his opening statement Wednesday, Grassley raised questions about the objectivity of a top FBI official. And he even quizzed Comey as to whether he had been the source of leaks to the media about investigations into Trump or Clinton. Comey said he was not.

The FBI director faced sharp questions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle about his conduct during the election, which he defended. Democrats are angry that Comey reopened the email investigation just 11 days before Election Day, then announced about a week later the bureau found no new evidence.

Grassley's request for closer scrutiny by the Justice Department came in a letter dated Tuesday. The Iowa Republican wrote to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, asking that he 'closely supervise and oversee” the FBI's investigations.

In the letter and in his opening statement at the hearing, Grassley raised questions about the objectivity of a top FBI official. He also complained the FBI didn't investigate the Clinton emails as aggressively as it could.

The FBI said last month the FBI official, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, does not have a conflict. McCabe's wife ran for office in 2015 and received campaign contributions from Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, an ally of the Clintons.

Rosenstein, who served both the Obama and Bush administrations, was confirmed last week. He is the second in command at the Justice Department and would oversee the investigation into Russian involvement in the election because Attorney General Jeff Sessions recused himself after previously undisclosed contacts with a Russian ambassador last year were revealed. Sessions denied anything improper.