The FBI under former President Barack Obama failed to examine fully several thumb drives containing hacked State Department data, including messages linked to Obama, during its 2016 investigation of Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, according to a newly declassified watchdog report released Monday.
“This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI’s investigation of former Secretary Clinton’s email usage and mishandling of highly classified information,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) told the Washington Examiner.
The thumb drives, supplied by a confidential source, were deemed too sensitive to be reviewed fully at the time due to concerns about the privileged victim data they could contain. But a draft memo from within the FBI recommended analyzing the material to “assess the national security risks” tied to Clinton’s private server, a step the bureau ultimately declined to take.
The new details are in a declassified appendix to a 2018 report by former Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz. Grassley, the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, released the document on Monday after receiving it from Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel.
The revelations have renewed scrutiny of former FBI Director James Comey, whose team limited the scope of the Clinton investigation while aggressively pursuing allegations of collusion by then-candidate Donald Trump and Russia.
“The Comey FBI’s negligent approach and perhaps intentional lack of effort in the Clinton investigation is a stark contrast to its full-throated investigation of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax,” Grassley said.
The report shows that the FBI Cyber Division had tried to obtain access to the thumb drives in 2016, but internal objections over privilege concerns blocked the effort. Then-Deputy Director Andrew McCabe also sought to use the drives in the Russia investigation but was similarly denied.
Although the drives were queried at least three times, including once by then-special counsel Robert Mueller’s office, there was no comprehensive review of their contents. One search yielded results associated with “clintonemail.com,” but the rest of the details were redacted.
The appendix also highlighted foreign intelligence the FBI encountered during the investigation, including Russian-language documents that alleged political interference by Comey and then-Attorney General Loretta Lynch. The documents, which included claims about Debbie Wasserman Schultz and George Soros-linked operatives, were reviewed and dismissed as unreliable, according to FBI agents cited in the watchdog report.
JAMES COMEY AND JOHN BRENNAN UNDER INVESTIGATION BY DOJ FOR TRUMP-RUSSIA INQUIRY
Comey defended his July 5, 2016, decision to exonerate Clinton publicly before interviewing several key witnesses, citing concerns about internal leaks. His decision, made without notifying Lynch, has remained a point of controversy — particularly because the FBI soon launched its Crossfire Hurricane investigation targeting Trump’s 2016 campaign.
The revelation also comes as the FBI, under the current Trump administration, is actively investigating Comey and ex-CIA Director John Brennan over their roles in the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation and possible misconduct tied to intelligence handling.