mick silver
23rd February 2016, 12:57 PM
Judge threatens subpoena against Clinton over emailsSource: The Washington Times (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/23/judge-threatens-subpoena-against-clinton-emails/)
A federal judge warned Tuesday that he may have to subpoena former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/)’s entire secret email account, saying he has real questions about whether the Obama administration gave her special treatment.
In the interim, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said he was granting discovery to Judicial Watch, a public interest law firm who’s sued to get a look at the emails, meaning the group will be able to demand the State Department explain who approved Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/)’s server, how many officials knew about it, and what accommodations they made to her after her emails become a public issue.
And the judge said he is “inclined” to issue a subpoena eventually, forcing the department to go back to Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/) and demand she turn over the entire clintonemail.com system she and top aide Huma Abedin used during their time in the department. He withheld that order for now, saying he will wait to see what discovery produces, but said he’s concerned with the chain of events that led to the emails being shrouded in secrecy for so many years.
“How on earth can the court conclude there is not at minimum a reasonable suspicion of bad faith,” Judge Sullivan said.
The Obama administration repeatedly tried to derail the judge, saying that the State Department has done everything it can, and that at this point the issue is in Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/)’s hands, not the department.
“State has really done everything it can to get these records,” Steven Myers, a Justice Department lawyer handling the case for the government, said.
Mr. Myers said they asked Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/) to return all of her official emails, and said her lawyer has filed a letter saying she has done that.
The lawyer said under regular practice, employees are able to delete messages every day, so it makes sense that Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/) would be in charge of deciding which emails she is allowed to turn over now.
“That’s not going to give the public much comfort,” Jude Sullivan replied.
He said the entire process of creating and maintaining the secret email system, which Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/) kept at her home in New York, raises questions about whether she was trying to thwart the law. He said he has not come to that conclusion yet.
The judge repeatedly told Judicial Watch its request for discovery must be “narrowly tailored.”
Still, the group was happy with the outcome.
“It’s a significant victory for public accountability,” said Judicial
Read More... (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/23/judge-threatens-subpoena-against-clinton-emails/)
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A federal judge warned Tuesday that he may have to subpoena former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/)’s entire secret email account, saying he has real questions about whether the Obama administration gave her special treatment.
In the interim, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said he was granting discovery to Judicial Watch, a public interest law firm who’s sued to get a look at the emails, meaning the group will be able to demand the State Department explain who approved Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/)’s server, how many officials knew about it, and what accommodations they made to her after her emails become a public issue.
And the judge said he is “inclined” to issue a subpoena eventually, forcing the department to go back to Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/) and demand she turn over the entire clintonemail.com system she and top aide Huma Abedin used during their time in the department. He withheld that order for now, saying he will wait to see what discovery produces, but said he’s concerned with the chain of events that led to the emails being shrouded in secrecy for so many years.
“How on earth can the court conclude there is not at minimum a reasonable suspicion of bad faith,” Judge Sullivan said.
The Obama administration repeatedly tried to derail the judge, saying that the State Department has done everything it can, and that at this point the issue is in Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/)’s hands, not the department.
“State has really done everything it can to get these records,” Steven Myers, a Justice Department lawyer handling the case for the government, said.
Mr. Myers said they asked Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/) to return all of her official emails, and said her lawyer has filed a letter saying she has done that.
The lawyer said under regular practice, employees are able to delete messages every day, so it makes sense that Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/) would be in charge of deciding which emails she is allowed to turn over now.
“That’s not going to give the public much comfort,” Jude Sullivan replied.
He said the entire process of creating and maintaining the secret email system, which Mrs. Clinton (http://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/hillary-clinton/) kept at her home in New York, raises questions about whether she was trying to thwart the law. He said he has not come to that conclusion yet.
The judge repeatedly told Judicial Watch its request for discovery must be “narrowly tailored.”
Still, the group was happy with the outcome.
“It’s a significant victory for public accountability,” said Judicial
Read More... (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/23/judge-threatens-subpoena-against-clinton-emails/)
Share This Article...