New Hampshire US Senator Kelly Ayotte is among the Republicans calling on Attorney General Loretta Lynch to recuse herself from a federal probe into Hillary Clinton's handling of emails as Secretary of State.
In a statement Friday Ayotte said she was disappointed Lynch didn't formally recuse herself from the inquiry "given the importance of the investigation and the need to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest to ensure that all Americans have confidence in the outcome."
Lynch said Friday she planned to accept the recommendation of career prosecutors and the director of the FBI.
The announcement comes after news that Lynch met privately with Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, this week. Lynch said the talk was social and that the investigation did not come up.
A spokesperson for Governor Maggie Hassan's US Senate campaign, meanwhile, backed Lynch's decision.
"The Governor believes it is appropriate for the Attorney General to defer to the recommendations of the FBI Director and career prosecutors at the Department of Justice," said Aaron Jacobs, campaign communications director.
