Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

DOJ defends Clinton from subpoena - "It's sheer speculation she withheld work-related emails"
The Hill ^ | March 20, 2015 | Ben Kamisar

Posted on 03/20/2015 12:57:39 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

The Justice Department is defending former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from a motion to subpoena her private emails under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

“Such action is unnecessary and inappropriate under FOIA,” DOJ officials wrote in a legal briefing filed Thursday. Officials were responding to a case launched by Larry Klayman, the founder of the conservative watchdog group Freedom Watch.

Klayman is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., to subpoena Clinton’s computer server where she housed the private email address she used while serving in the State Department.

Clinton has turned over 55,000 pages of emails that she believed could be considered official government communications, but she deleted 30,000 emails that she considered to be personal.

The Justice Department describes Klayman’s call for a subpoena as “speculation” in its brief.

“Plaintiff provides no basis, beyond sheer speculation, to believe that former Secretary Clinton withheld any work-related emails from those provided to the Department of State,” the agency says.

The filing, first reported by Politico, is the first time that the Justice Department has addressed the government’s role in accounting for Clinton’s private emails.

The agency says that the Freedom of Information Act “creates no obligation for an agency to search for and produce records that it does not possess and control.”

Justice also criticized Klayman’s motion to hold Clinton and her former State Department aide Cheryl Mills in contempt.

Klayman initially filed the suit challenging the State Department, which he claims did not adequately respond to his FOIA request for documents relating to Iran sanctions.

A district court ruled against Klayman in January, but he filed an updated appeal Clinton's use of the private email account and server surfaced. Klayman claims that by keeping her emails off of public servers, Clinton and the State Department obstructed justice.

The Justice Department said that the State Department plans to review the records Clinton turned over and will give Klayman any emails related to his request.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Military/Veterans; Politics
KEYWORDS: 2016election; clinton; doj; election2016; emails; hillary; hillaryclinton; hitlery; impeachnow; irs; loislerner
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last
“Plaintiff provides no basis, beyond sheer speculation, to believe that former Secretary Clinton withheld any work-related emails from those provided to the Department of State,” the agency says.

Down Memory Lane: "Hillary Clinton - I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president."

1 posted on 03/20/2015 12:57:39 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

Why don’t they bring up Sarbanes-Oxley?


2 posted on 03/20/2015 12:58:43 PM PDT by nickcarraway
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

It was sheer speculation that Nixon’s 18-minute gap contained anything incriminating, too.


3 posted on 03/20/2015 1:05:19 PM PDT by Steely Tom (Vote GOP for A Slower Handbasket)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
Fools !! ...how does State know if they are not in possession of the Hillary's Server & backups?

"It's sheer speculation she DID NOT withhold work-related emails"

4 posted on 03/20/2015 1:06:35 PM PDT by TexasCajun
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

I think it is a pretty safe bet that the hard drives on the server were replaced sometime after the 30,000 e-mails were deleted.

Not even the NSA will be able to recover e-mails from the small pieces of melted aluminum slag that were left over after the hard drives were incinerated.


5 posted on 03/20/2015 1:09:39 PM PDT by Bubba_Leroy (The Obamanation Continues)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

A blind person can see how utterly corrupt the entire federal government is.
Disgusting.


6 posted on 03/20/2015 1:11:18 PM PDT by vpintheak (Call the left what they are - regressive control-freaks)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

So now the JD is acting as the defense attorneys for Clinton instead of the prosecuting attorneys?


7 posted on 03/20/2015 1:12:32 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (True followers of Christ emulate Christ. True followers of Mohammed emulate Mohammed.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

This why Gowdy knew from the beginning than under this administration nothing of consequence was ever going to allow this case to go forward and be closed against Clinton.

But, Gowdy and other investigative committees can certainly make life miserable and expensive for Clinton from now until doom’s day, until we have a new Republican president.


8 posted on 03/20/2015 1:13:46 PM PDT by RitaOK ( VIVA CRISTO REY / Public education is the farm team for more Marxists coming)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: RitaOK

I can’t even fathom the number of pardons that will be issued on the last days of this administration.


9 posted on 03/20/2015 1:14:48 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

FFS, the crime is not that she withheld them, the crime is that they landed on her private server.


10 posted on 03/20/2015 1:14:58 PM PDT by Attention Surplus Disorder (At no time was the Obama administration aware of what the Obama administration was doing)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
But it is NOT sheer speculation that she was in violation of the LAW -- y'know, the LAW, what the so-called Department of Justice is supposed to be concerned with?

11 posted on 03/20/2015 1:15:00 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (What do we want? REGIME CHANGE! When do we want it? NOW!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
number of pardons

I think it's safe to say that by mid 2017, the Baraq Obama Foundation funding will make the Clinton Global Initiative look like your kids' allowance.

12 posted on 03/20/2015 1:17:43 PM PDT by nascarnation (Impeach, convict, deport)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

WRONG! It’s “sheer speculation” that she DIDN’T! Morons!


13 posted on 03/20/2015 1:18:37 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (Hillary 2016! Because we don't have anybody else! - The DNC donors)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

“The agency says that the Freedom of Information Act ‘creates no obligation for an agency to search for and produce records that it does not possess and control.’”

Kind of makes Klayman’s point, doesn’t it? The Agency SHOULD possess and control the former DEPARTMENT’s Secretary’s emails. Absent that possession and control, the former Secretary of State’s server(s) and emails should be subject to subpoena and, her choosing not to give the Department possession and control in violation of federal law, should cause her and her aide be held in contempt.


14 posted on 03/20/2015 1:25:08 PM PDT by EDINVA
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: EDINVA
They're playing word games.

Can you imagine a world without lawyers

"Bart: When I grow up, I wanna be a lawyer just like you, Mr. Hutz.

Lionel Hutz: Good for you, son. If there's one thing this world needs, it's more lawyers. Could you imagine a world without lawyers?

15 posted on 03/20/2015 1:28:42 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

That’s why they want to subpoena it, dumbass. To end the speculation.


16 posted on 03/20/2015 1:29:22 PM PDT by TigersEye (STONE COLD ZOMBIE SCOURGE)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

“I can’t even fathom the number of pardons that will be issued on the last days of this administration.”

BJ, the first Black President, pardoned 459, including the fugitive at large, Marc Rich.

The Fraud “only” had 61 as of the end of his first term. Of course, he simply won’t allow prosecution in the first place....


17 posted on 03/20/2015 1:29:33 PM PDT by treetopsandroofs (Had FDR been GOP, there would have been no World Wars, just "The Great War" and "Roosevelt's Wars".)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

If all that is required is for Clinton to say it’s “private” well then FOIA means nothing,she can simply declare everything “private”


18 posted on 03/20/2015 1:59:15 PM PDT by Ray76
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: vpintheak
A blind person can see how utterly corrupt the entire federal government is.

So it would seem. But, the Federal Government saw fit to have a legally blind employee sift through some of Lois Lerner's emails!

19 posted on 03/20/2015 2:21:42 PM PDT by Pearls Before Swine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: RitaOK

This was FOIA request, not the demand from Congressional oversight.


20 posted on 03/20/2015 2:23:57 PM PDT by doug from upland (Obama and the leftists - destroying our country one day at a time)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson