Americans' trust in government suffered a terrible blow last week

Americans’ trust in government suffers a terrible blow

The Hillary Clinton email scandal is an outrageous example of how those with political connections get away with lying and cheating while ordinary Americans have the book thrown at them for the tiniest technical violation.

Despite her many denials, we now know Clinton sent and received over 100 classified emails on her private email server. We know she destroyed work emails and didn’t turn over all work-related emails to the government, as the FBI found thousands more.

In short, we know that Clinton put her privacy, personal agenda and political security above national security.

In his statement Tuesday, Comey introduced an element of the crime non-existent in the statute, arguing that charging Clinton required proof she willfully mishandled the classified documents on her server. That is not the case.

Mishandling classified information in a grossly negligent way is a felony, a standard aimed at ensuring officials take utmost care to protect the nation’s secrets.

I have great respect for Director Comey. But last week he seemed to go out of his way to give Clinton a pass while systematically outlining her gross negligence and careless handling of our nation’s secrets.

Idahoans are tired of such double standards for the political elite. Consider the example of Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Kristian Saucier, who pleaded guilty in May to unlawful retention of national defense information for using his cellphone to take pictures in the classified engine room of a nuclear submarine. Though the government didn’t allege he ever planned to disclose the photos to anyone outside the Navy, Saucier faces up to 10 years in prison.

While Saucier awaits sentencing, I can imagine the anger he and his family feel watching the images flashing on their TV screens:

First, former President Bill Clinton has a private meeting with Attorney General Loretta Lynch and the uproar prompts Lynch to say she’ll follow Comey’s recommendation in the email case. Second, on the Saturday before July 4, Secretary Clinton finally meets with the FBI. Third, Comey recommends no charges.Lastly, hours after Comey speaks, President Obama takes her campaigning on Air Force One and says there has never been a candidate more qualified to be President of the United States.

That bizarre conclusion is something you expect to see in a Third World country, not the greatest republic in history.

I believe Americans are ready to fight for the rule of law. We understand that we are a nation of laws, not men. At other moments of crisis in our history, hardworking, ordinary Americans have made things right.

Will the American public really allow Navy Petty Officer 1stClass Saucier to be punished for his technical violation of the law while rewarding Secretary Clinton’s outrageous conduct by making her commander in chief? We shall see!