The US Justice Department has released its long-awaited report on the FBI's handling of Hillary Clinton's emails during the 2016 election. The department's Inspector General says then-FBI director James Comey broke protocol, but did not do so with any political bias. CGTN's Roee Ruttenberg reports.

Donald Trump has long maintained that the 2016 investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server was rigged and that the FBI showed bias --in her favor -- in choosing NOT to press charges. He rallied his base by accusing the former Secretary of State of criminal activity. In July 2016, then-FBI director James Comey held a rare press conference saying: Clinton acted carelessly, but didn't break any laws.

Then, just days before the November 2016 vote, he announced in a letter to Congress he was looking into new emails. The Inspector General's report on Thursday concludes Comey made errors in not coordinating his probe with DOJ superiors - describing him as "insubordinate". It also slammed individual FBI officials for internally sending anti-Trump text messages. But it said neither revealed overall bias in the bureau.

Comey, writing in the New York Times on Thursday said: "Nothing in the inspector general's report makes me think we did the wrong thing."

And this, from the White House:

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY "It reaffirmed the President's suspicions about Comey's conduct and the political bias amongst some of the members of the FBI."

Trump fired Comey in May 2017 just as an investigation into alleged Russian meddling in the elections was kicking off. The man who replaced Comey, current FBI Director Christopher Wray, defended the bureau, but admitted there were problems.

CHRISTOPHER WRAY FBI DIRECTOR "I take this report very seriously and we accept its findings and recommendations."

The Trump administration has long argued that the Russia investigation - now led by Special Counsel Robert Mueller - is tainted because it involves some of the same people who worked under Comey. Democrats say Comey's mishandling actually helped Trump become president.

CHUCK SCHUMER DEMOCRATIC US SENATOR "We Democrats said that then, the Inspector General makes it clear now, that director Comey's mishandling of the publicity around the Clinton email campaign all accrued to the benefit of then-candidate Trump, not the other way around."

A U.S. Senate committee will hold a hearing on Monday about the report. Comey's then-deputy, Andrew McCabe, who was also fired - and faces possible criminal charges for allegedly lying to investigators- may testify. He's asked for immunity.

ROEE RUTTENBERG WASHINGTON "The Trump administration has also floated the idea of criminal charges against Comey. In his tell-all book, the former FBI director said: there wasn't a rule book for what he was doing, that he knew he was stepping outside of the norms. But he denied any criminal wrong-doing. Roee Ruttenberg, CGTN, in Washington."