FBI Failed to Review Key Evidence in Clinton Email Probe, Report Reveals

A newly declassified report reveals that the Federal Bureau of Investigation did not examine thumb drives containing potentially important evidence during its investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server. An FBI draft memo from May 2016 indicated that reviewing these thumb drives was crucial for a comprehensive investigation, including assessing national security risks associated with the private server. However, the agency never finalized the memorandum or submitted the request to the department.

The document is an appendix to a 2018 Department of Justice Office of Inspector General report that examined the FBI's Clinton investigation. Senator Chuck Grassley, the Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, has been seeking information about this since 2018. Attorney General Pam Bondi expressed support for transparency and accountability within the federal government.

In July 2016, then-FBI Director James Comey publicly stated that Clinton was "extremely careless" in handling classified information but recommended that the Department of Justice not bring charges. Shortly after, he initiated an investigation into allegations of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The 2018 Office of Inspector General report found that the FBI considered reviewing certain highly classified materials but did not seek permission from the Department. The declassified appendix provides further details about these materials. The report states that the vast majority of this data has never been reviewed by the FBI, including for counterintelligence purposes, due to concerns that information from certain U.S. victims may be privileged.

The information on the thumb drives, which included former President Barack Obama's emails and State Department information, raised concerns about Executive and Congressional Privileges. The report notes that no witness believed reviewing the thumb drives would have altered the investigation's outcome. Witnesses also stated it was unlikely to include communications from the beginning of Clinton's tenure that would show her intent in setting up and using a private email server.

Senator Grassley expressed gratitude for the document's release after nearly a decade. He stated that the document reveals a significant lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI's investigation of Clinton's email usage and mishandling of classified information. He added that under Comey's leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and that the Comey FBI's approach was in stark contrast to its investigation of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax.