JUST IN - @MarkHalperin : Sr. Justice Dept. official - This was the Atty. General's intention all along https://t.co/ws9klpXEeM

Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Bloomberg Politics Mark Halperin cited a “senior Justice Department official” who said Attorney General Loretta Lynch will not recuse herself from the investigation into presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton use of a private email while secretary of state. Critics have called on Lynch to do so after holding a private meeting with her husband former President Bill Clinton earlier this week.

Halperin also said the source does not anticipate Lynch will admit the meeting was a mistake.

“This is a senior Justice Department official who is playing down that this is anything new,” Halperin said. “Says this was the attorney general’s intention all along to let the career people decide. Quote, ‘She is not recusing herself. She is not stepping aside and does not expect that the attorney general will say it was a mistake to meet with Bill Clinton privately for 20 or 30 minutes.’”

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