Friday afternoon, the FBI released a 29-page document containing Department of Justice emails regarding the infamous meeting on the tarmac in Phoenix between then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Bill Clinton just days before FBI Director James Comey gave his much-criticized announcement that he would not recommend charges against Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over her “extreme carelessness” in handling classified material.
The emails, spanning from July 1-3, 2016, contain correspondence among various FBI and DOJ officials involving the leaking of the unscheduled private 30-minute meeting between Lynch and Clinton on June 27 that the AG insisted was merely a personal chat about their grandchildren and recent travels, but what many suspect had something to do with the ongoing investigation of then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The press conference in which Comey announced that he would not request that Lynch pursue charges was held just over a week later, on July 5.
The newly released emails (excerpts below) appear to contain no bombshells, but do show that members of the bureau were deeply concerned about the “secret” meeting getting leaked to the press and that, in response, officials were considering ramping up measures to prevent future leaks. The Washington Free Beacon’s Katie Pavloch provides a summary of the emails’ content:
A series of emails show one FBI official, whose name and email are redacted, fuming over leaks to the media about the meeting and what happened on the tarmac. The official received an email from a “layman” alleging a local Phoenix police officer who may have talked to a reporter “sounds like a security threat.” Officials went back and forth about finding out if the officer was SWAT or simply worked the motorcade and that “at a minimum” he should never work another detail again. One asked if local law enforcement assisting the FBI on motorcades should sign non-disclosure agreements in the future. Another official called an Observer article about the meeting, with details about how President Clinton got to Lynch’s private plane, “infuriating.”
The emails include correspondence from FBI agent Peter Strzok, whom special counsel Robert Mueller removed from his investigation this summer due to Strzok’s overt anti-Donald Trump bias. Strzok was a central figure in not only the Clinton investigation, but also in the investigation into the unverified, salacious Russian dossier and Trump’s associates. Strzok also reportedly played a key role in softening Comey’s statement on Hillary Clinton. Comey and Deputy Director Andrew McCabe are also among the officials featured in the emails. Some of the names and email addresses of those sending and receiving the emails are redacted.
Below are screenshots of some of the most relevant correspondence featured in the newly released FBI document:
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This article has been revised for clarity and expanded to include screenshots of select emails.