The Honorable Charles

E

Grassley Chairman Committee on the Judiciary United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Grassley: U.S.

epartment

o f

ustice

Federal

Bureau

o f

Investigation

s

hin g t o n D.C. 20535

Julyl,2016

This is in response to your letter dated February 4 , 2016 regarding the use

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non disclosure agreements in the

FBI s

investigation

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former Secretary

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Stat e Clinton's use

ofa

private e -mail server . The FBI asked the limited number

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personnel working on this matter to sign Case Briefing Ackno wledg ment forms and, after receipt

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your Jetter, an addendum to that form , which reminded them

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their whistle blower rights and clarified that the form did not override or supersede those rights . These forms served two purposes: to maintain an official record

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all persons knowledgeable

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this highly sensitive investigation , and to remind individuals

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their obligations to protect classified and sensitive information.

No

one refused to sign the acknowledgement or raised any questions or concerns about doing so. This was not a unique circumstance; depending on the sensitivities in a given investigation, FBI employees may from time to time be asked to sign similar forms . In addition, al l FBI emplo yees sign standard form non-disclosure agreements (NDA) upon obtaining their security briefings , and they remain bound by those agreements throughout the course

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their employment. The standard form

NDA

includes the requisite lang uage to address all legal requirements , including whistleblower protections. The FBI

is

taking steps to ensure that future reminders to employees

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non-disclosure obligations similarly contain language acknowledging whistleblower protections. Copies

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