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Anti-Trump group files ethics complaint against Chaffetz

Posted at 8:29 PM, Oct 31, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-01 16:29:34-04

SALT LAKE CITY -- A national political group called the Democratic Coalition Against Trump has requested an investigation of Utah Congressman Jason Chaffetz.

The group claims Chaffetz tweeted inaccurate information that amounts to “using the FBI” for political purposes.

As Chair of the House Oversight Committee, Chaffetz was one of 16 members of Congress to get a letter from FBI Director James Comey saying the Bureau found a new cache of emails that could be pertinent to their investigation.

Coalition chairman Jon Cooper said Chaffetz tweeted, “Case re-opened,” which suggested the FBI was doing more than simply examining new evidence.

“The comments by Representative Chaffetz really drove the media narrative throughout the next 48 hours,” Cooper said.

The coalition made its complaint to the Office of Congressional Ethics of the United States House of Representatives.

The complaint states: On Friday October 28, 2016, Representative Chaffetz released confidential information to the public provided to him by FBI Director James Comey in a tweet. The contents of the tweet were incorrect, as no case was reopened. Representative Chaffetz used Mr. Comey's information to campaign for a presidential election, and put the integrity of the FBI at stake when he did so.

Chaffetz told FOX 13 News he had not seen the complaint but he did not think it would amount to much.

Chaffetz said the letter from Comey was not classified and his tweet was appropriate.