A senior operative in Hillary Clinton’s inner circle tried to make a secret deal with the FBI to “reclassify” some of Clinton’s emails in exchange for additional overseas jobs for FBI agents.

The Weekly Standard’s Stephen Hayes broke the story, saying he’s seen the FBI documents.

BREAKING: A senior State Dept official discussed a "quid pro quo" w/the FBI in exchange for reclassification of HRC emails, per FBI docs. — Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) October 15, 2016

Senior Aide Patrick Kennedy was the one behind the attempted deal-making. He wanted the formerly “classified” documents to be changed to “unclassified.” But the FBI refused to play ball.

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FBI officials, including CT Dir Michael Steinbach, nixed the arrangement and refused to change the classification of the HRC emails. — Stephen Hayes (@stephenfhayes) October 15, 2016

During the summer of 2015, Kennedy contact the FBI and said that he wanted help from an unnamed official in keeping “at least one” Clinton email from public disclosure by obtaining what is known as a “B9” exemption under the Freedom of Information Act, a little-used exemption that deals with geographic data.

The email Hayes viewed said: providing a B9 exemption “would allow him to archive the document in the basement of the department of state never to be seen again.”

The unnamed FBI official then went to the agency’s records management division and tried to “pressure” them to reclassifying the email “in exchange for a quid pro quo,” according to the interview summary. “In exchange for making the email unclassified State would reciprocate by allowing the FBI to place more agents in countries where they are presently forbidden.” The request was denied.

But it didn’t end there. The FBI held an “all-agency” meeting to discuss the classification of Clinton’s emails. Kennedy – then an undersecretary of State – was also present:

According the FBI interview summary, he reported that “Kennedy spent the next 15 minutes debating the classification of the email and attempting to influence the FBI to change its markings,” Hayes writes.

The pressure was again rebutted.

There is no evidence, Hayes points out, that any of this was directed by Hillary Clinton herself. But the FBI does confirm it took place:

Prior to the initiation of the FBI’s investigation of former Secretary Clinton’s personal email server, the FBI was asked to review and make classification determinations on FBI emails and information which were being produced by the State Department pursuant to FOIA. The FBI determined that one such email was classified at the Secret level. A senior State Department official requested the FBI re-review that email to determine whether it was in fact classified or whether it might be protected from release under a different FOIA exemption. A now-retired FBI official, who was not part of the subsequent Clinton investigation, told the State Department official that they would look into the matter. Having been previously unsuccessful in attempts to speak with the senior State official, during the same conversation, the FBI official asked the State Department official if they would address a pending, unaddressed FBI request for space for additional FBI employees assigned abroad. Following the call, the FBI official consulted with a senior FBI executive responsible for determining the classification of the material and determined the email was in fact appropriately classified at the Secret level. The FBI official subsequently told the senior State official that the email was appropriately classified at the Secret level and that the FBI would not change the classification of the email. The classification of the email was not changed, and it remains classified today. Although there was never a quid pro quo, these allegations were nonetheless referred to the appropriate officials for review.

The FBI is claiming there “never was a quid pro quo,” but that’s only because nothing actually happened.

What’s most telling though is that the Clinton campaign tried to play this game with the FBI and the American people.

H/T: PJMedia





