U.S. Rep. Ken Buck (R- CO) appeared on the Kelley & Kafer Show (KNUS, 710am) Monday to talk about his impressions of the congressional hearing with FBI Director James Comey to examine his decision not to file criminal charges against Hillary Clinton, over allegations of inappropriate handling of emails with sensitive information, and her use of a private server in her home while serving as Secretary of State.

In the interview, Buck praised his Republican colleagues on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee for their respectful and professional treatment of Comey.

“I was very proud of all of my Republican colleagues on the Oversight and Public Reform Committee.  [They] really gave a lot of repect to the director of the FBI, and there was no personal attack on the director.”

Earlier in the interview with host Krista Kafer, Buck had singled out committee member Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) as someone he admired and from whom he sought counsel as a freshman Representative.  Buck characterized Gowdy as someone cast from the same mold as Bill Armstrong, an iconic and celebrated Colorado conservative politician and statesman who recently passed away.

Buck disagreed with the decision not to prosecute Clinton, agreeing instead with Kafer that Comey was sincere and credible in his investigation, but was wrong in finding that the former Secretary of State’s actions did not rise to level of a prosecutable offense.  During his examination, Buck had pressed Comey to concede his interpretation of statute to be unconventional, qualifying any implied intent of wrong-doing by Clinton with a lack of provable willingness.

Other commentators have expressed the opinion that Comey was disingenuous in his decision, characterizing the FBI Director as “too weak” or “too corrupt” to issue a decision to prosecute, given adequate evidence and testimony justify such a decision. Charges of partisanship, collusion, cronyism, and cover-up have also been lobbed at Comey for his ultimate decision.

Distancing himself from direct and politically charged criticism of Comey, Buck echoed Democratic lawmakers in defending the FBI Director, saying he feels “bad that people –that anybody, any rational person – could come to [that] conclusion”, citing Comey’s integrity in prosecuting many difficult cases with high visibility, and the respect he’s held with the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations.

Committee Chair Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), Rep. Gowdy, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), Rep. John Mica (R-FL), and Senator Charles Grassley have all pointedly and forcefully challenged Comey’s decision not to file charges against Clinton.

Listen to the Buck interview with Krista Kafer here: