Federal Bureau of Investigation director: Petraeus did not hide top-secret documents in

FBI Director James Comey said this week there weren’t grounds to prosecute Clinton but that she and her aides had been “extremely careless” in their handling of classified information.

FBI Director James Comey on Thursday said it was not clear whether Hillary ClintonHillary Rodham ClintonPoll: Clinton leads Trump by 30 points in California RNC head: We’ll “win with or without” Trump critics Sanders to endorse Clinton next week: report MORE fully understood the government’s marking system for classified messages.

Most criminal laws governing classified information require prosecutors to prove that a defendant “knowingly” violated the law in order to secure a conviction, but there is little, if any, evidence that Clinton committed any such violations.

“Folks can disagree about that, but I hope they know that view, not just my view, but of my team was honestly held, fairly investigated and communicated with unusual transparency”, said Comey.

Ryan, in a letter dated Wednesday, formally asked Clapper to “refrain from providing any classified information to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for the duration of her candidacy for president” because of the FBI’s findings.

Many are annoyed with Comey’s decision, as it amounts to a simple slap on the wrist for Clinton.

Comey cited a 1917 law that might have allowed for an indictment in cases of “gross negligence” but that has only been used a single time in the last century in a case involving espionage.

Committee chairman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, told Comey that the FBI’s decision showed a “double standard” for powerful people.

COMEY: Certainly, she should have known not to send classified information.

Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, said in a Thursday press conference that he would raise the issue with Clapper following the FBI’s non-recommendation of charges against Clinton.

Comey on Tuesday wrapped up a year-long probe of Clinton by announcing that while she was careless when she used a personal email server during her tenure in the State Department, there was no evidence she committed a crime and that he would recommend to the Justice Department that no charges be filed.

Comey said the guilty plea of Petraeus offered the “perfect illustration of a case that gets prosecuted”.

In an exchange with Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., Comey acknowledged that Clinton’s previous public assertions about her management of classified information did not square with the FBI’s conclusions.

Hillary Clinton received no punishment for using a private email server that rendered some classified documents vulnerable when she was secretary of state.

“You’ll have one”, Chaffetz promised. If Clinton were to have been indicted even though she had no nefarious intention, the president and others would be dragged in too, even though they had no intention to harm the United States.

Democrats on the committee had a different tone as they questioned Comey.

Under an onslaught of Republican criticism, Comey vigorously defended the government’s decision and rejected GOP accusations that the presidential candidate was given special treatment.

The director went on to add that if Clinton were an employee of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and acted similarly, “there would be a security and a range of discipline could be imposed from termination to reprimand and in between, suspensions, loss of clearance”.