Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley on Monday released newly declassified documents related to the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her time as Secretary of State. The materials, according to Grassley, reveal that the FBI “failed to fully investigate” Clinton’s handling of classified information.“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,” Grassley said in a press release.“Under Comey’s leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor,” he added.Grassley further criticized the disparity between the FBI’s handling of the Clinton case and its aggressive investigation into alleged Trump-Russia ties. “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, which was based on the uncorroborated and now discredited Steele dossier. Comey’s decision-making process smacks of political infection,” the statement read.Clinton faced FBI scrutiny over her use of a private server to store classified emails during her tenure from 2009 to 2013 in the Obama administration. In 2016, just months before the presidential election, then-FBI Director James Comey announced that the bureau would not recommend prosecution. “Although there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case,” also said Comey. “Prosecutors necessarily weigh a number of factors before bringing charges. There are obvious considerations, like the strength of the evidence, especially regarding intent. Responsible decisions also consider the context of a person’s actions, and how similar situations have been handled in the past.”Grassley’s newly released documents stem from what is known as the “Clinton annex,” an appendix to the Department of Justice Inspector General’s 2018 review of the Clinton email investigation. The materials were declassified at Grassley’s request by Attorney General Pam Bondi and other Trump administration officials, according to Fox News.The documents reportedly show that Comey and other FBI leaders took possession of key thumb drives but failed to thoroughly examine them. According to Grassley’s office, the drives potentially contained classified content from several federal agencies- including the State Department, congressional communications, and even correspondence involving former President Barack Obama.Additional intelligence, cited in Grassley’s release, suggests possible interference in the investigation by the Obama administration. The FBI also reportedly received information indicating communication between then-Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz — who chaired the Democratic National Committee until July 2016 — and members of the Soros-founded Open Society Foundations. However, Grassley claims the bureau “did not make serious investigative efforts” to follow up on such leads.“I warned years ago that the Clinton investigation failed to hit the mark, and I’m grateful the American people can finally see the facts for themselves,” Grassley said. “After nearly a decade in the shadows, this information is now coming to light thanks to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel’s dedicated efforts to fulfill my congressional request.”“I appreciate their ongoing commitment to transparency and strongly urge them to continue to fully review this matter, including its national security impact,” he added.This development comes just days after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard made headlines by declassifying documents she says reveal extensive efforts by Obama-era officials to politicize intelligence on Russian interference in the 2016 election.According to Gabbard, the documents show that “overwhelming evidence” supports the claim that the Obama administration helped initiate the Trump-Russia investigation after Clinton’s defeat. “Their goal was to usurp President Trump and subvert the will of the American people,” Gabbard posted on X. “No matter how powerful, every person involved in this conspiracy must be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The integrity of our democratic republic depends on it. We are turning over all documents to the DOJ for criminal referral.”Fox News confirmed that the Department of Justice has received the referral, but the DOJ declined to comment further.
