FBI Overlooked Key Thumb Drives in Clinton Email Probe: DOJ Watchdog Reports
FBI Accused of Ignoring Critical Evidence in Clinton Email Investigation
A declassified appendix to a watchdog report reveals that the FBI paid minimal attention to evidence vital to its investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State.
Sources provided thumb drives containing sensitive State Department data obtained through cyber intrusions, including emails from President Barack Obama and other officials. Despite internal recommendations to analyze these drives for national security risks, the FBI declined to do so, citing concerns over privacy and data protection.
Officials criticized the FBI for its lack of thoroughness, with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley describing the investigation as marked by “negligence and a lack of effort,” contrasting it with the bureau’s aggressive probe of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax.
The appendix also disclosed that the FBI found Russian-language intelligence suggesting that then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch and former FBI Director James Comey were meddling in the investigation to favor different presidential candidates. There were also claims that a DNC chairwoman communicated with individuals linked to George Soros’s foundations and believed the FBI lacked sufficient evidence against Clinton because data had been removed from servers just in time.
Investigators suspect the intelligence may have originated from a cyber attack on a prominent think tank. Despite being translated into English, the FBI reportedly dismissed the credibility of the documents, with Comey choosing not to inform Lynch prior to publicly announcing that Clinton would not face criminal charges. Witnesses described the documents as containing “verifiably false” information.
Former FBI officials, including Comey, were accused of politicized decision-making, with Grassley asserting Comey’s process was “infected with politics.” The report claims Comey intended to “drag out” the investigation to influence the 2016 election, a charge supported by some team members, like Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok, who found no concrete evidence of hacking in related documents.
Additionally, the FBI’s investigation into President Trump, dubbed Crossfire Hurricane, was mentioned as a counterpoint to the alleged neglect during the Clinton probe.
In response, the Attorney General expressed support for the release of these findings, emphasizing a commitment to transparency and accountability in government actions.