FBI Director Kash Patel stated last week that “the FBI concealed investigations concerning then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton,” as he advocates for increased transparency within the bureau to restore trust among the American public.

Patel expressed these views alongside Deputy Director Dan Bongino during an interview with Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo, further noting that former FBI Director James Comey, who was dismissed by President Donald Trump in May 2017, independently chose not to pursue any charges against the former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate.

“(The previous) FBI overstepped the constitutional duties assigned to the Department of Justice and the Attorney General,” Patel remarked, adding, “Comey made unilateral decisions regarding which cases to prosecute and which to dismiss.”

Patel specifically mentioned Clinton’s email controversy prior to the 2016 election—before she allegedly orchestrated the ‘Trump-Russia collusion’ narrative to divert attention from herself.

If you doubt my claims, refer to the video evidence,” Patel stated, adding that Comey “deliberately excluded investigation details or misrepresented prosecution choices during his time as FBI Director.”

During the peak of the campaign season in the summer of 2016, Comey held a press conference to declare that, although the FBI had uncovered what many considered prosecutable offenses related to Clinton’s attempts to hide emails from investigators, “no reasonable prosecutor” would file charges.

Then, under mounting pressure and merely ten days before the election, he reopened the inquiry into the email controversy, claiming that Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had jeopardized national security by utilizing a personal email server while serving as Secretary of State. Clinton subsequently cited the timing of this renewed investigation as a significant factor in her electoral defeat.