September 14, 2017

*-- White House press secretary says DOJ should consider prosecuting Comey --*

Trump's lead spokesperson said the Department of Justice should consider prosecuting former FBI director James Comey.

At the daily press briefing, Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, told reporters Comey's actions as head of the FBI "were improper and likely could have been illegal."

Sanders' comments were in reference to new allegations that Comey drafted an exoneration letter for Hillary Clinton prior to interviewing the former secretary of state about her use of a private email server.

Asked if the White House wanted to see Comey prosecuted, Sanders said such a decision was up to the DOJ, but that it was "something they should certainly look at."

"He politicized an investigation by signaling he would exonerate Hillary Clinton before he ever interviewed her or other key witnesses," Sanders said.

Sanders said President Trump was right to fire Comey, who has also been accused of leaking sensitive government documents to news agencies while heading the FBI.

"I think there is no secret Comey, by his own self-admission, leaked privileged government information," she said.

In an interview with CBS's "60 Minutes" on Sunday, Stephen Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, said Comey's firing was the biggest mistake "in modern political history."

Special counselor Robert Mueller is currently investigating whether the president fired Comey in an effort to impede the Justice Department's investigation of improper ties between Russia and members of the Trump campaign.

Sanders said the president has no regrets about Comey's firing.

"He's very happy with the decision he's made and I think he's been fully vindicated," she said.