WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Judiciary Committee, today asked the Department of Justice to explain its reported decision to drop inquiries into Clinton Foundation and State Department interactions. The reported declinations came amid reports of favorable action from the State Department for foundation donors and concerns that foreign government donations were not always vetted by ethics officers as required.
“While all of these circumstances are not proof of wrongdoing, they do raise reasonable suspicions and undermine the public’s confidence in the integrity of the State Department’s operations during Secretary (Hillary) Clinton’s tenure,” Grassley wrote to Attorney General Loretta Lynch. “The American people are entitled to reassurance that these matters have received thorough and objective investigation. Yet, it appears that the DOJ has turned a blind eye and refused to investigate.”
Grassley sought details on how and when the Justice Department declined to open Clinton Foundation inquiries, whether political appointees were involved in the decisions, whether the Justice Department evaluated the FBI’s recovery of thousands of work-related emails from Clinton’s non-governmental server as part of considering a public corruption case, and other related questions.
“At this point, the American people and Congress are owed answers,” Grassley wrote.
Grassley outlined several instances of potential conflicts of interest in matters involving State Department employees, the Clinton Foundation, and Teneo that he has previously asked about and outlined additional examples described through newly released emails and news reports of “links between entities donating to the Clinton Foundation and subsequent favorable treatment by the State Department as well as contacts with Secretary Clinton’s senior staff.”
Grassley’s letter is available here.
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