FBI director James Comey batted away the notion that Hillary Clinton received special treatment in the FBI's investigation. | Getty FBI director: With Clinton, I tried to avoid 'celebrity hunting'

At multiple points during his testimony Thursday, James Comey forcefully batted away the notion that Hillary Clinton received special treatment in the FBI's investigation, asserting that he wanted the reputation of the bureau and the Justice Department to be such that the "average Joe or Jane" is treated the same as "Secretary So-and-So."

Following an exchange with Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) over the FBI's recommendation not to prosecute Clinton for lack of evidence of intent, Comey laid out his reasoning as to why the department has not used the Espionage Act of 1917's "gross negligence" statute to bring forth charges. The statute has been used only once by the Justice Department, he said, and in an espionage case.

"And whether their decision was smart or not, that is the record of fairness. And so you have to decide: Do I treat this person against that record and, if I do, is that a fair thing to do? Even if you're not worried about the constitutionality of it, my judgment is no reasonable prosecutor would do that," the FBI director told the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, echoing his remarks from Tuesday. "That would be celebrity hunting. That would be treating this person differently than John Doe."

Asked earlier by Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) whether it bothers him that "the precedent you are setting today may well lead to a circumstance where our top-secret information continues to be exposed to our potential enemies," Comey said it did not.

"The precedent I am saying is my best effort to treat fairly without regard to who they are. If that continues to be the record of the FBI and Justice Department, that's what it should be. The rest of the implications in your question are beyond that. They’re important, but they’re not for the FBI to answer. We should aspire to be apolitical, facts and the law, and treat Joe the same as Sally as Secretary So-and-So. That’s my goal."

Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) asked Comey whether there was any evidence of Clinton not being charged based on "inappropriate political influence or due to her current or previous public positions."

"Zero, and if there is such evidence, I'd love folks to show it to me," Comey responded.