The FBI is investigating whether a series of emails sent to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's private email server about the CIA drone program risked national security. The Wall Street Journal first reported about this facet of the investigation on Friday, June 10, 2016. The FBI is currently conducting a criminal probe into Clinton's private email server. They are investigating whether Clinton or any of her aides put the country at risk or broke laws by using the private server.
The email exchange was sent over the Christmas vacation in late 2011 and early 2012. The emails related to what the then-U.S. ambassador to Pakistan said about the US planning a drone strike on his country. The emails mostly regarded approval of drone assassinations. This particular strike, however, was eventually canceled. Although the drone program is public knowledge and covered by the news any government official that discusses "the program on a non-classified system is a violation of government rules."
Most of the email exchange was sent and received on unsecured email accounts. The State Department staff was not at the office during the holiday and did not have access to their "classified accounts." Some of the emails were sent to Clinton's private email server. The emails were not considered classified at the time still the FBI finds it worthy to investigate. However, since then the CIA has "insisted" the emails "be retroactively classified."
The State Department and Clinton's campaign are refusing to comment on this newly made public aspect of the investigation. State Department spokesman Mark Toner issued a statement, reiterating, "As we have said previously, the State Department is not going to speak to the content of documents, nor would we speak to any ongoing review." Clinton's campaign has refused to make any comments at all.
The FBI has interviewed Clinton's close aides at the State Department and still has to interview the former Secretary of State. After the FBI completes their interview, they will make their recommendations if the Justice Department should criminally charge Clinton or her aides.
The White House admitted on Thursday, June 9, that FBI's probe is a "criminal investigation," just as President Barack Obama endorsed Clinton for president. The Wall Street Journal also reported on Thursday, that based on anonymous law-enforcement sources Clinton will probably not face any criminal charges.
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