Ryan formally requests Clinton be denied classified information

Speaker Paul Ryan on Thursday formally requested Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to deny Hillary Clinton access to classified information “for the duration of her candidacy for president.”

The Wisconsin Republican’s letter to Clapper comes just hours before FBI Director James Comey is scheduled to testify on Capitol Hill about the findings of his yearlong investigation into the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee’s handling of classified material while she was serving as secretary of State.

{mosads}While the FBI did not ultimately recommend charges against Clinton, Comey said during a news conference this week that Clinton and her aides were “extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.”

“As a former vice presidential nominee, I am keenly aware that Secretary Clinton is set to begin receiving classified intelligence briefings after the Democratic National Convention,” Ryan wrote to Clapper. “However, while declining to recommend changes, Director Comey stated that ‘this is not to suggest that in similar circumstances, a person who engaged in this activity would face no consequences. To the contrary, those individuals are often subject to security or administrative sanctions.'”

“Given the FBI’s findings,” Ryan continued, “denying Secretary Clinton access to classified information certainly constitutes appropriate sanctions.”

Comey has agreed to appear later Thursday before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, led by Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah). Several other GOP-led panels are also investigating the matter.

In addition, Ryan will also send a separate letter to Comey requesting that he release all unclassified documents from the Clinton investigation.