Yesterday we noted a potential "quid pro quo" arrangement between the FBI and State Department whereby Patrick Kennedy, a senior executive at the State Department, offered "additional slots for the FBI at missions overseas" in return of "altering the classification" of certain Hillary Clinton emails (see "Lawmakers Find "Quid Pro Quo" Between FBI And State Over Altered 'Classified' Clinton Emails"). Now, House Speaker Paul Ryan released the following statement saying that efforts of the State Department to pressure the FBI "bears all the signs of a cover-up" which, he says, is exactly why he called on the Director of National Intelligence to deny Hillary access to classified information.

WASHINGTON—House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) today responded to new documents released under a Freedom of Information Act request related to the FBI investigation of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server: “These documents further demonstrate Secretary Clinton’s complete disregard for properly handling classified information. This is exactly why I called on DNI Clapper to deny her access to classified information. Moreover, a senior State Department official’s attempt to pressure the FBI to hide the extent of this mishandling bears all the signs of a cover-up. This is why our aggressive oversight work in the House is so important, and it will continue.”

Of course, the press release came after the following tweet last night in which Trump called out Ryan for failing to respond to new allegations about the "quid pro quo" arrangement between the State Department and FBI.

Wow, interview released by Wikileakes shows "quid pro quo" in Crooked Hillary e-mail probe.Such a dishonest person - & Paul Ryan does zilch! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2016

As a reminder, about a week ago we wrote about then newly released FBI interviews with numerous references to State Department officials, including Patrick Kennedy, applying pressure to subordinates to change classified email codes so they would be shielded from Congress and the public (see "Two Boxes Of Hillary Emails Mysteriously Disappear"). Here is the relevant section from the FBI's interview notes:

Then, yesterday, according to a report from Fox News, new FBI files reviewed by Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), Chair of the House Oversight Committee, potentially pointed toward a "quid pro quo" arrangement between the State Department and the FBI whereby Patrick Kennedy, a senior executive at the State Department, offered "additional slots for the FBI at missions overseas" in return of "altering the classification" of certain Hillary Clinton emails. If true, of course, this new evidence could serve to discredit the entire FBI investigation as the notes are a "flashing red light of potential criminality."

FBI interview summaries and notes, provided late Friday to the House Government Oversight and Intelligence Committees, contain allegations of a "quid pro quo" between a senior State Department executive and FBI agents during the Hillary Clinton email investigation, two congressional sources told Fox News. "This is a flashing red light of potential criminality," Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, who has been briefed on the FBI interviews, told Fox News. He said "there was an alleged quid pro quo” involving Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy and the FBI “over at least one classified email.” "In return for altering the classification, the possibility of additional slots for the FBI at missions overseas was discussed,” Chaffetz said. "Both myself and Chairman Devin Nunes of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence are infuriated by what we have heard," he added. "Left to their own devices the FBI would never have provided these [records] to Congress and waited until the last minute. This is the third batch because [the FBI] didn’t think they were relevant," Chaffetz said.

The plumes of smoke continue to grow...the only question now is whether or not the actual fire will be discovered before November 8th?