Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses a crowd of supporters on July 27, in Scranton, Penn. | Getty Trump, Gowdy hit reported immunity deal connected to Clinton email controversy

Republicans including Donald Trump are criticizing the FBI and calling for a special prosecutor as a new report indicates that the Justice Department granted immunity to a second person involved with Hillary Clinton’s private email server controversy.

The New York Times reported late Thursday that computer specialist Paul Combetta, who deleted emails after Congress had asked that they be preserved, received immunity from the Justice Department during its investigation of the scandal.


Bryan Pagliano, who worked on Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, also received immunity earlier this year.

Donald Trump’s campaign released a statement about the report, re-upping the call for a special prosecutor.

“The revelation that a second individual was given an immunity deal in Hillary Clinton’s email scandal only underscores the need for a special prosecutor to be appointed,” senior communications adviser Jason Miller said in a statement.

And Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), who served as chairman of the House select committee on Benghazi, appeared on Fox News Friday morning, blasting the FBI for what he says were huge mistakes.

“They gave immunity to the very person you would want to prosecute, the person who destroyed emails after there was a subpoena and prosecution order,” Gowdy said of Combetta. “We need to ask the FBI what kinds of immunity did you give? And why did you give it to the triggerman, the guy who actually destroyed government documents?”