Judicial Watch Files Seven Lawsuits to Expose Hillary Clinton Email Scandal

AFP Photo
AFP Photo
Tom Fitton
Washington, D.C.

On March 2, 2015, The New York Times reported then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used at least one non-“state.gov” email account to conduct official government business during her tenure as secretary of state. It also was reported that Clinton stored these records on a non-U.S. government server at her home in Chappaqua, New York.

Since then, other than one Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit by one media outlet, official Washington has sputtered outrage but has taken no strong steps to ensure accountability for Hillary Clinton’s and the Obama administration’s brazen lawlessness. Federal records, many surely classified, were mishandled, stolen, secreted, and supposedly destroyed in violation of several criminal and civil federal laws. The failure of leadership on this massive corruption issue did not stop Judicial Watch, which has been stepping into this gap for some time on behalf of the American people, who are rightly concerned about government and politicians out of control.

Indeed, Judicial Watch recently shook up Washington with a historic legal effort, filing seven new Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits against the U.S. State Department to obtain the release of documents about the Clinton email scandal, including the emails of Clinton’s top aide Huma Abedin, and records about the Benghazi and Clinton Foundation scandals. Judicial Watch filed one of the lawsuits on Monday, May 5, and six on Tuesday, May 6. Judicial Watch also recently filed a lawsuit for records on Hillary Clinton’s use of an iPad and iPhone.

Judicial Watch already has at least 18 active lawsuits, 10 of which are active in federal court, and about 160 Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, that could be affected by Clinton and her staff’s use of secret email accounts to conduct official government business. In Judicial Watch’s various FOIA lawsuits, Judicial Watch lawyers have informed Obama administration attorneys that Clinton’s and any other secret accounts used by State employees should be secured, recovered, and searched. Judicial Watch’s litigation against the State Department has already exposed key documents about both the Benghazi and Clinton cash scandals.

But these bold legal actions were a prelude to a massive legal effort without compare. This latest raft of lawsuits gets to the heart of several Clinton/Obama scandals.

The seven new Judicial Watch FOIA lawsuits ask federal courts to require the Obama administration to obey the law and turn over the following documents:

Judicial Watch is seeking access to all emails of official State Department business received or sent by former Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin from January 1, 2009, through February 1, 2013, using a non-“state.gov” email address.

Judicial Watch is seeking all emails sent or received by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in her official capacity as secretary of State, as well as all emails by other State Department employees to Secretary Clinton regarding her non-“state.gov” email address.

Judicial Watch is seeking access to records concerning the use and expense of a non-“state.gov” email address and server domain by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Such records include, but are not limited to, records concerning security, classification, preservation, and compliance with the Federal Records Act and/or the Freedom of Information Act.

Judicial Watch is seeking access to all records that identify the number and names of all current and former officials, officers, or employees of the U.S. Department of State from January 20, 2009, to the present who used email addresses other than their assigned “state.gov” email addresses to conduct official State Department business and the policies in place to ensure that emails were searched for responsiveness to FOIA requests.

  • Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s communications during the attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, during which U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith were killed.  A second assault targeted a nearby compound, killing two government contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00692)).

Judicial Watch is seeking all emails of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton concerning the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, as well as all communications between State Department employees and members of Congress, congressional staff, or the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

  • State Department policies, procedures and review process enacted to ensure against conflicts of interest between foreign interests and the Clinton Foundation, during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as secretary of State (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00688)).

Judicial Watch is seeking records that identify the policies and/or procedures in place to ensure that former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s personal or charitable financial relationships with foreign leaders, foreign governments, and business entities posed no conflict of interest to her role as secretary of State; and all records related to the State Department’s review of donations to the Clinton Foundation for potential conflicts of interest with former Secretary Clinton’s role as secretary of State.

Judicial Watch is seeking access to all records completed and/or signed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding her resignation from the office of secretary of State, as well as other State Department employees. Such records include, but are not limited to a “separation statement” signed by Hillary Clinton upon her resignation as Secretary of State.

A weak and hapless Congress, a compromised Justice Department, and a compliant liberal media will not do the work of taking on Clinton and Obama corruption – but Judicial Watch is happy to continue leading the charge. There is a rule-of-law and transparency crisis in Washington, and these new FOIA lawsuits are intended to make certain that Clinton and her co-conspirators in the Obama administration will be held accountable for their violations of transparency law, criminal destruction and mishandling of government records, Benghazi lies, and the Clintons’ continuing abuse of office for personal and political gain.

This is just the first round of planned lawsuits, since the State Department, and other Obama agencies, have failed to respond as required by law.

These lawsuits come just as former President Bill Clinton has entered the fray to explain away his wife’s ethical lapses and the many conflicts of interest involving foreign donations to his family’s foundation. Many have heard former Pres. Clinton dishonestly talk in media interviews about how he and Hillary have done nothing “knowingly inappropriate,” which translates to “I’m guilty, but have mercy.” He said he will continue to accept cash payments from whomever because “I gotta pay our bills,” and that the Clintons are really victims who are being held to an unfair standard.

In typical Clintonian fashion, his complaint is the exact opposite of truth. In fact, few citizens, businesses or even politicians would think they could use their public office to make themselves tens of millions of dollars from foreign potentates and then steal, destroy and secret government records that could shed light on the illicit moneymaking. Bill’s bellyaching about having to explain his, Hillary’s, and Chelsea’s monumental grifting might give pause to the friendly liberal media and Democratic partisans running the Justice Department. But, as is readily apparent from Judicial Watch’s barrage of new lawsuits, the watchdog will not be deterred by this latest round of Clinton evasions.

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