Sen. Cornyn demands DOJ hand over Clinton FBI interview transcript

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Republican Sen. John Cornyn demanded Thursday that the Department of Justice release the transcript of Hillary Clinton’s interview with the FBI, as Republicans ramp up pressure on both Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey over the decision not to charge Clinton over her email use.

In a letter sent to Lynch, the Texas senator urged the department to release both the FBI’s report on Clinton’s use of a private email server for official business when secretary of state, and the transcript of the three-and-a-half hour interview conducted with Clinton by the FBI on July 2.

“The American people deserve the facts underlying former-Secretary Clinton’s FBI interview to evaluate the Department of Justice’s conclusions and the public statements that the former-Secretary Clinton and her supporters have made regarding her use of a personal email system and her egregious handling of classified information,” Cornyn wrote.

Cornyn also renewed his calls for Lynch to appoint a special counsel to the case, calling it “the best and most appropriate way for the American people to have faith in the administration of justice in this case.”

“The need for a Special Counsel, the appointment of which would give the American people greater transparency and assurance of independence, was underscored after you decided to meet privately with Secretary Clinton’s husband just days before the Director’s public announcement and the conclusion of the investigation,” Cornyn said.

Cornyn’s letter comes as part of a growing Republican effort to pull back the curtain on what happened behind the scenes of the FBI’s probe into Clinton’s email use. On Wednesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan wrote to Comey, requesting he provide all the unclassified findings from the agency’s investigation.

“I have great respect for the professionals at the FBI,” Ryan wrote. “However, many people – myself included – struggle to reconcile the case that you made against Secretary Clinton with the decision against recommending prosecution.”

Comey appeared in front of a House oversight committee hearing Thursday on Capitol Hill to face questions from Republicans who suggested a “double standard” was being applied.

Ryan also wrote to Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, requesting he deny Clinton access to classified information in light of the FBI’s finding that Clinton and her staff were “extremely careless” in their handling of classified information.

“There is no legal requirement for you to provide Secretary Clinton with classified information, and it would send the wrong signal to all those charged with safeguarding our nation’s secrets if you choose to provide her access to this information despite the FBI’s findings,” Ryan wrote.

Fox News’ Chad Pergram contributed to this report.