Submitted by ButtCracker
TOP TAKEAWAYS
- New revelations over the past 24 hours have spurred a stream of bad headlines for Hillary Clinton.
- CNN is reporting that despite an FBI request, the Department of Justice Office of Public Integrity refused to open an investigation into the Clinton Foundation, amid allegations of corruption.
- New emails demonstrate a clear pay to play relationship between the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton State Department.
- A watchdog group released emails showing Clinton’s top aide, Cheryl Mills, interfering with an open records request that could have exposed Clinton’s secret server years earlier, but recently claimed no knowledge of this potential cover up.
- Vice News is reporting that the FBI investigation into Clinton’s server was prompted by espionage fears on the part of the U.S. government.
THE OBAMA JUSTICE DEPARTMENT BLOCKED AN FBI REQUEST TO INVESTIGATE THE CLINTON FOUNDATION
The FBI Had Gone To The Department Of Justice Early In 2016 To Ask Them To Open A Case Into The Clinton Foundation, But It Was Declined By The Department. “The FBI went to Justice Department earlier this year asking for it to open a case into the foundation, but the public integrity unit declined.” (Daniella Diaz, “Newly Released Clinton Emails Shed Light On Relationship Between State Dept. And Clinton Foundation,” CNN , 8/10/16)
- The Foundation Was Not Part Of The FBI’s Recent Investigation Into Clinton’s Handling Of Classified Information. “The Clinton Foundation was not part of the recent investigation into her private server; it was separate.” (Daniella Diaz, “Newly Released Clinton Emails Shed Light On Relationship Between State Dept. And Clinton Foundation,” CNN , 8/10/16)
Last Year, The Justice Department Had Been Mulling A Case Into The Clinton Foundation Prior To The FBI’s Request. “The Justice Department had looked into whether it should open a case on the foundation a year prior and found it didn’t have sufficient evidence to do so.” (Daniella Diaz, “Newly Released Clinton Emails Shed Light On Relationship Between State Dept. And Clinton Foundation,” CNN , 8/10/16)
NEW EMAILS REVEAL A PAY-TO-PLAY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CLINTON FOUNDATION DONORS AND THE CLINTON’S STATE DEPARTMENT
The Wall Street Journal Headline: “Newly Released Emails Highlight Clinton Foundation’s Ties To State Department” (Rebecca Ballhaus, “Newly Released Emails Highlight Clinton Foundation’s Ties To State Department,” The Wall Street Journal , 8/9/16)
The New York Times Headline: “Emails Renew Questions About Clinton Foundation And State Dept. Overlap” (Eric Lichtblau, “Emails Renew Questions About Clinton Foundation And State Dept. Overlap,” The New York Times , 8/9/16)
Bloomberg Headline: “E-Mails By Clinton Aides Show State-Foundation Links” (Ben Brody, “E-Mails By Clinton Aides Show State-Foundation Links,” Bloomberg , 8/9/16)
CBS News Headline: “Emails Show Links Between State Department And Clinton Foundation” (Reena Flores, “Emails Show Links Between State Department And Clinton Foundation,” CBS News, 8/10/16)
CNN Headline: “Newly Released Clinton Emails Shed Light On Relationship Between State Dept. And Clinton Foundation” (Daniella Diaz, “Newly Released Clinton Emails Shed Light On Relationship Between State Dept. And Clinton Foundation,” CNN , 8/10/16)
The Daily Mail Headline: “Secret Emails Reveal How Hillary’s Closest Aide Huma Was Ordered By Clinton Foundation To Open State Department Doors To Donors” (Alana Goodman, “Secret Emails Reveal How Hillary’s Closest Aide Huma Was Ordered By Clinton Foundation To Open State Department Doors To Donors,” The Daily Mail , 8/9/16)
The Week Headline: “Watchdog Group Releases 44 New Hillary Clinton Emails, Highlighting Clinton Foundation Ties” (Peter Weber, “Watchdog Group Releases 44 New Hillary Clinton Emails, Highlighting Clinton Foundation Ties,” The Week , 8/10/16)
The Wall Street Journal Editorial Headline: “More Clinton Emails” (James Freeman, “More Clinton Emails,” The Wall Street Journal, 8/10/16)
An Email Chain Reveals That The Clinton Foundation’s Doug Band Sought Access To State Department Officials For A Foundation Donor Through Clinton’s Top Aides
The Latest Emails “Raised New Questions About Whether The Charitable Foundation Worked To Reward Its Donors With Access And Influence At The State Department…” “The documents raised new questions about whether the charitable foundation worked to reward its donors with access and influence at the State Department, a charge that Mrs. Clinton has faced in the past and has always denied.” (Eric Lichtblau, “Emails Renew Questions About Clinton Foundation And State Dept. Overlap,” The New York Times , 8/9/16)
“In One Email Exchange, For Instance, An Executive At The Clinton Foundation In 2009 Sought To Put A Billionaire Donor In Touch With The United States Ambassador To Lebanon Because Of The Donor’s Interests There.” (Eric Lichtblau, “Emails Renew Questions About Clinton Foundation And State Dept. Overlap,” The New York Times , 8/9/16)
- The New York Post Headline: “New Emails Show Huma Scheming For Hillary” (Daniel Halper, “New Emails Show Huma Scheming For Hillary,” The New York Post, 8/9/16)
- The New Emails Reveal Clinton “Aides Doing Favors For Billionaires…” “Another 296 pages of Hillary Clinton’s emails were released Tuesday – exposing key Clinton aides doing favors for billionaires and, on one occasion, leaving the then-secretary of state’s daily schedule in an unlocked hotel room. The documents were released by Judicial Watch, which is suing to recover Clinton’s emails under Freedom of Information Act laws.” (Daniel Halper, “New Emails Show Huma Scheming For Hillary,” The New York Post, 8/9/16)
- The Meeting Was For Gilbert Chagoury Who Is A Lebanese-Nigerian Billionaire Who Has Given Between $1 And $5 Million To The Clinton Foundation. “‘We need Gilbert Chagoury to speak to the substance person re Lebanon. As you know, he’s key guy there and to us and is loved in Lebanon.’ Chagoury is a Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire and a Clinton Foundation donor, giving somewhere between $1 million and $5 million.” (Daniel Halper, “New Emails Show Huma Scheming For Hillary,” The New York Post, 8/9/16)
- Chagoury Was Convicted Of Money Laundering In 2000, And Paid A $66 Million Plea Deal. “The construction magnate has financial interests around the world and was convicted in Switzerland in 2000 for money laundering. He paid $66 million in a plea deal.” (Daniel Halper, “New Emails Show Huma Scheming For Hillary,” The New York Post, 8/9/16)
Clinton‘s Top Aides Were Pushed By The Foundation To Help Find A Job For A Foundation Associate
The Hill Headline: “In Email, State Asked To ‘Take Care Of’ Clinton Foundation Associate” (Julian Hattem, “In Email, State Asked To ‘Take Care Of’ Clinton Foundation Associate,”The Hill, 8/9/16)
The New York Post Editorial Headline: “Want A Job? Give To The Clinton Foundation Right Away!” (Editorial Board, “Want A Job? Give To The Clinton Foundation Right Away!,”The New York Post, 8/9/16)
In Another Email, The Foundation Pushed Clinton’s Aides To Help Find A Job For A Foundation Associate, And Her Aides “Indicated That The Department Was Working On The Request.” ” In another email, the foundation appeared to push aides to Mrs. Clinton to help find a job for a foundation associate. Her aides indicated that the department was working on the request.” (Eric Lichtblau, “Emails Renew Questions About Clinton Foundation And State Dept. Overlap,” The New York Times , 8/9/16)
- The Hill Headline: “In Email, State Asked To ‘Take Care Of’ Clinton Foundation Associate” (Julian Hattem, “In Email, State Asked To ‘Take Care Of’ Clinton Foundation Associate,” The Hill, 8/9/16)
- When Clinton Was Secretary Of State, Her Senior Aides Were Pressed By A “Long Time Confidante With Deep Ties To The Clinton Foundation” To Give A Job To An “Unidentified Male.” “Shortly after Hillary Clinton took the reins as U.S. secretary of State in 2009, a longtime confidante with deep ties to the Clinton Foundation pressed her senior aides to give a job to an unidentified male associate.” (Julian Hattem, “In Email, State Asked To ‘Take Care Of’ Clinton Foundation Associate,” The Hill, 8/9/16)
In An Email From Doug Band With The Subject Line “A Favor…” Clinton’s Aides Were Told It Was “Important To Take Care Of” The Individual. “‘Important to take care of’ the person, Douglas Band told Clinton aides Huma Abedin, Cheryl Mills and Nora Toiv in an April 22, 2009, email with the subject line ‘A favor…’. The name of the aide is redacted.” (Julian Hattem, “In Email, State Asked To ‘Take Care Of’ Clinton Foundation Associate,” The Hill, 8/9/16)
- Band Had Previously Served As An Aide To Bill Clinton And Has Performed “Multiple Duties For The Clinton Foundation.” “Band previously served as an aide to former President Bill Clinton and has performed multiple duties for the Clinton Foundation. He is also a founding partner and president of Teneo Holdings, the consulting firm.” (Julian Hattem, “In Email, State Asked To ‘Take Care Of’ Clinton Foundation Associate,” The Hill, 8/9/16)
- Top Clinton Aide Huma Abedin Responded Saying “We Have All Had Him On Our Radar…” “‘We have all had him on our radar,’ Abedin responded. ‘Personnel has been sending him options.'” (Julian Hattem, “In Email, State Asked To ‘Take Care Of’ Clinton Foundation Associate,” The Hill, 8/9/16)
CLINTON‘S SECRET SERVER SCANDAL IS BACK IN THE HEADLINES AS PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED EMAILS AND DOCUMENTS RAISE FRESH CONCERNS
While At The State Department Top Clinton Aide Cheryl Mills Knew About The FOIA Request That Could Have Exposed Clinton’s Secret Server Years Earlier
Politico Headline: “Email Shows Mills Was Told Of Key Clinton FOIA Request” (Josh Gerstein, “Emails Show Mills Was Told Of Key Clinton FOIA Request,”Politico, 8/10/16)
A Newly Released Email Shows That Secretary Clinton’s Chief Of Staff Cheryl Mills Was “Alerted Within Days” When A Watchdog Group Requested Records Describing All Of Clinton’s Email Accounts. “A newly-released email message shows that Hillary Clinton’s State Department Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills was alerted within days in December 2012 when a liberal watchdog group requested records describing all the email accounts used by Clinton.” (Josh Gerstein, “Emails Show Mills Was Told Of Key Clinton FOIA Request,” Politico, 8/10/16)
Six Months Later, The State Department Said That No Records Could Be Found Pertaining To The Request Regarding Clinton’s Email Accounts. “Six months later, State sent a letter to Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington saying no records could be found. A State Department inspector general report issued in January described the episode as part of a pattern of ‘inaccurate and incomplete responses’ to FOIA requests.” (Josh Gerstein, “Emails Show Mills Was Told Of Key Clinton FOIA Request,” Politico, 8/10/16)
If The State Department Had Been More Thorough, Clinton’s “Exclusive Use Of A Private Email Server As Secretary Of State Could Have Been Exposed Years Before It Became Public In March 2015.” “The incident is noteworthy because had State’s response been more thorough, Clinton’s exclusive use of a private email server as Secretary of State could have been exposed years before it became public in March 2015.” (Josh Gerstein, “Emails Show Mills Was Told Of Key Clinton FOIA Request,” Politico, 8/10/16)
The FBI’s Investigation Into Clinton’s Emails Was Prompted By Espionage Fears
Vice News Headline: “FBI Probe Of Clinton’s Emails Prompted By Espionage Fears, Secret Letters Say” (Jason Leopold, “FBI Probe Of Clinton’s Emails Prompted By Espionage Fears, Secret Letters Say,” Vice News, 8/9/16)
Two Newly Revealed Secret Letters Signal That The FBI Investigation Into Clinton’s Secret Server Stemmed From A Concern That Clinton’s Emails Had Been “Compromised” And Shared With “A Foreign Power…” “Two secret letters the FBI sent to the State Department have revealed for the first time that the bureau’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server, and the classified emails sent through it, stemmed from a so-called ‘Section 811’ referral from the Intelligence Community’s Inspector General (ICIG). The ICIG determined that classified, national security information in Clinton’s emails may have been ‘compromised’ and shared with ‘a foreign power or an agent of a foreign power.'” (Jason Leopold, “FBI Probe Of Clinton’s Emails Prompted By Espionage Fears, Secret Letters Say,” Vice News, 8/9/16)
The “Section 811″ Referral Grants The Authority For Executive Branch Departments To Coordinate Counterespionage Investigations When Unauthorized Information…May Have Been Disclosed To A Foreign Power.” “Section 811 of the Intelligence Authorization Act of 1995 ‘is the statutory authority that governs the coordination of counterespionage investigations between Executive Branch departments or agencies and the FBI.’ A Section 811 referral is a report to the FBI about any unauthorized information that may have been disclosed to a foreign power.” (Jason Leopold, “FBI Probe Of Clinton’s Emails Prompted By Espionage Fears, Secret Letters Say,” Vice News, 8/9/16)
None Of These New Emails Had Been Previously Turned Over, Despite Clinton’s Assurances That She Turned Over All “Work-Related” Email
The Associated Press Headline: “Legal Group Issues Private Emails Clinton Did Not Turn Over” (Stephen Braun And Eileen Sullivan, “Legal Group Issues Private Emails Clinton Did Not Turn Over,”The Associated Press, 8/9/16)
Clinton Failed To Include 44 Emails To The Government That Show Her Interacting With Lobbyists, Political And Clinton Foundation Donors And Business Interests As Secretary Of State.” “The State Department has turned over 44 previously-unreleased Hillary Clinton email exchanges that the Democratic presidential nominee failed to include among the 30,000 private messages she turned over to the government last year. They show her interacting with lobbyists, political and Clinton Foundation donors and business interests as secretary of state.” (Stephen Braun And Eileen Sullivan, “Legal Group Issues Private Emails Clinton Did Not Turn Over,” The Associated Press, 8/9/16)
National Journal’s Ron Fournier Noted “This Is Yet Another Example Where We’re Finding E-Mail That Aren’t Turned Over.” NBC’S MIKE BARNICLE: “The headline are new questions about overlap between Clinton’s State Department and charity. Basically, a story about access between people at the Clinton Foundation and the State Department that began early in 2009. As soon as Hillary Clinton assumed the Secretary of State’s job. The key paragraphs in the new story at the Times are probably this; in April, 2009, Douglas J. Band who led the Foundation’s Clinton Global Initiative e-mailed Ms. Abedin, Huma Abedin and Cheryl D. Mills, another top advisor to Mrs. Clinton for help with a donor. Mr. Band wrote that he needed to contact Gilbert Chagoury, a Lebanese-Nigerian billionaire who was one of the Foundation’s top donors with someone at the State Department to talk about his interests in Lebanon. ‘Its Jeff Feltman,” Ms. Abedin wrote, referring to Jeffrey Feltman who was the American ambassador to Lebanon at the time, ‘I’m sure he knows him. I’ll talk to Jeff.'” MSNBC’S JOE SCARBOROUGH: “Ron Fournier, from the very beginning you have said the problem with the e-mails would be if we get all of the e-mails that they would show a nexus, a financial nexus between the Clinton Foundation and the State Department. Here’s just one example of the Clinton Foundation getting probably millions of dollars. We don’t know the exact amount this foreign businessman gave and then having the Foundation pick up the phone and say ‘Hey, help our donor over here.'” THE NATIONAL JOURNAL’S RON FOURNIER: “It actually wasn’t me. It was people very close to the Clintons, including a source whose been working with the Clintons for more than two decades who told me the week that the New York Times exposed this rogue server that what this was all about the Foundation, blurring the lines between their political and personal lives that what was in the emails, look for the pay to play. This kind of favor giving.” SCARBOROUGH: “Is this story disturbing to you what we found out about this back and forth between the Foundation and the State Department? Why should Americans be concerned?” FOURNIER: “Because you don’t want to have politicians who are giving favors to donors. You know, that’s, obviously, an ethical breach. Plus, we have the trust issue here. Hillary Clinton told us that all her work related e-mail are turned over. This is yet another example where we’re finding e-mail that aren’t turned over.” SCARBOROUGH: “Why, why, why wasn’t this one turned over? This one is fairly significant, is it not?” FOURNIER: “Oh, very significant. There are dozens and maybe hundreds that haven’t been turned over and among the 30,000 that she deleted, you know, through lawsuits and the FBI’s investigation we’re uncovering e-mails that should have been uncovered and weren’t.” (MSNBC’s ” Morning Joe,” 8/10/16)