Pressure on Lynch to step aside in Clinton email probe

The Hill ^ | February 8, 2015 | Julian Hattem

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Loretta Lynch is on the edge of the spotlight, about to be dragged to the center.

If the FBI finds sufficient evidence to launch a criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton or one of her top aides for mishandling classified information, Lynch's Justice Department will have to decide whether or not to press ahead.

Even if no evidence of wrongdoing is found, Clinton's many critics are unlikely to take the word of an appointee of President Obama's, and will doubt that justice has been served.

Already, top Republicans are calling for a special prosecutor to be brought in and evaluate the situation.

No. 2 Senate Republican John Cornyn (Texas) took to the floor of the Senate last week to call for a special counsel to be appointed "because of the conflict of interest by asking Attorney General Lynch to investigate and perhaps even prosecute somebody in the Obama administration."

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) agrees that Lynch ought to consider a special counsel, a spokesperson said, to reassure the country that decisions are made "without regard to any political considerations."

The Justice Department, however, has so far declined the request.

"This matter is being reviewed by career attorneys and investigators and does not meet the criteria for the appointment of a special prosecutor," department spokeswoman Melanie Newman said in a statement.

Federal officials are currently investigating the security of Clinton's bespoke email arrangement, and whether classified information may have been mishandled.

Critics of Clinton have called for indictments to be handed down, following revelations that more than 1,500 classified emails - including 22 classified at the highest level - were found on her personal server. None of the messages were marked as classified, and accounts differ as to whether they should have been classified at the time they were sent.

During a Democratic presidential debate last week, Clinton insisted that she was "100 percent confident" that the FBI's review will not evolve into a criminal matter.

Instead, she and other Democrats have decried the criticism about the emails as simple political gamesmanship, designed to drag down her presidential campaign.

"I think the American people will know it's an absurdity, and I have absolutely no concerns about it whatsoever," said Clinton.

Lynch's critics are unconvinced that the attorney general can be a neutral arbiter.

"I think they probably won't indict her, because the attorney general is from New York, who I believe is a friend of Hillary Clinton," Donald Trump, a leading Republican presidential candidate, said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" in October.

Skeptics of Lynch have also pointed to an October interview in which President Obama appeared to dismiss concerns about Clinton's "homebrew" server.

"I can tell you that this is not a situation in which America's national security was endangered," Obama said on CBS's "60 Minutes."

"It might appear that he's trying to influence the conduct of the investigation," Cornyn said on the Senate floor this week. "That's a real problem."

No close ties

Lynch and Clinton never had much of a personal relationship, former colleagues told The Hill in recent days.

"I'm not aware of any relationship with Hillary Clinton," said Steven Edwards, who worked alongside Lynch for nearly a decade at the law firm Hogan Lovells (the firm was previously called Hogan & Hartson when Lynch joined it in 2001).

Lynch was appointed to be the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York in 1999 by President Bill Clinton, Hillary's husband.

However, she was personally recommended for the position by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and one government official said Clinton himself had a relatively minor role in the selection process.

For a period of months, she also worked as the district's top prosecutor while Hillary Clinton was serving as the junior senator from New York, until Lynch left for private practice in 2001.

Lynch would return to become the U.S. attorney in 2010, before she was tapped to be the nation's top law enforcement official last year.

But unlike some U.S. attorneys - such as former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani or Preet Bharara, the current U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York - Lynch never appeared to glad-hand with politicians, former colleagues say.

"I worked with her very closely and you know, I've got lots of partners who, when we chitchat, talk about their involvement in political campaigns or their lunches with people in Washington," said Dennis Tracey, a partner at Hogan Lovells who worked with Lynch. "But she never did."

"If Rudy is at one end of the spectrum, Loretta is at the other one, in terms of being political," echoed Edwards, who is now at Quinn Emanuel. "She is a very, very cautious person and doesn't operate that way."

Lynch's own future

Lingering in the background is the prospect that Lynch's decision may affect her own future.

Lynch was confirmed by the Senate last year, after a five-month delay largely unrelated to her own qualifications. That left the nation's top lawyer with just a year and a half in office, during Obama's lame duck period in which policy efforts are likely to stall.

If Clinton becomes the next president, however, Lynch may be asked to stay on, at least for a short time. As such, she may have a little bit of skin in the game.

"That Hillary Clinton could be the Democrat nominee and potential next president represents an extraordinary circumstance that commends the appointment of a special counsel," said Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), the head of the House Oversight subcommittee on National Security, in a statement to The Hill. "For a Democrat-appointed attorney general such as Lynch, this is obviously something that distinguishes the Clinton investigation from other cases."

Along with 43 other Republicans, DeSantis wrote a letter to the Justice Department last year asking for a special counsel to be appointed so that the investigation can be conducted "impartially."

Former colleagues of Lynch rejected the notion that she would be biased in the Clinton probe.

"I cannot imagine allowing any personal relationship to affect her work. It's just not the way she is," said Tracey.

Special prosecutor

So far, the Justice Department has declined congressional requests to appoint a special prosecutor to oversee the Clinton issue.

In a letter to DeSantis in November, assistant attorney general Peter Kadzik said that the law allowing for a special counsel "has rarely been used."

"Any investigation related to this referral [into Clinton's server] will be conducted by law enforcement professionals and career attorneys in accordance with established department policies and procedures designed to ensure the integrity of all ongoing investigations," Kadzik wrote.

The FBI has refused to share details about its investigation. So far, however, the bureau does not appear to be conducting a criminal probe, and officials have said it is not directly targeting Clinton.

Multiple lawyers watching the case have suggested that Clinton's top aides may be in more trouble than she is.

As one former senior Justice Department official noted, there are many options for the government to take apart from either nothing or an indictment against Clinton.

"It could play out with people agreeing to plead to ... a misdemeanor charge, people agreeing to leave office or withdraw in return for a pardon," the former official said.

"I think ultimately, one of those events is going to happen," the former official added.

"It's not going to be forgotten about."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

"I can tell you that this is not a situation in which America's national security was endangered," Obama said on CBS's "60 Minutes."

"It might appear that he's trying to influence the conduct of the investigation," Cornyn said on the Senate floor this week. "That's a real problem."

FR THREAD: Obama may be Ensnared in the Clinton Email Scandal

"Perhaps President Obama's involvement is the reason that the FBI has not yet referred charges to the Justice Department in the Hillary Clinton email case. It may be metastasizing so quickly and so dangerously that not only are agents and lawyers within the agency having trouble keeping up with new evidence of wrongdoing, but that the scandal itself now threatens a constitutional crisis. The Department of State's refusal to release 18 emails exchanged between President Obama and Clinton through her unsecured home server at best creates a conflict of interest for Obama (as explained by Andrew McCarthy here) while at worst it raises the likelihood that the President has run afoul of national security laws and ought to be impeached."......

[Don Corleone]

Hillary dragged the 1/2 white house into this when she sent the first message from her unsecured non-government server. Obama knew, Val. Jar. knew. They ALL knew!

[1Old Pro]

Already, top Republicans are calling for a special prosecutor to be brought in and evaluate the situation.

Of course, but they need to get it done.

[dp0622]

i can’t wait till another 10 months when the entire apparatus is asked to “step aside” forever.

and one of the darkest chapters in our history ends.

But the fact that this chapter even began shows the need for MASS re educating of our youth.

[Thank You Rush]

“”This matter is being reviewed by career attorneys and investigators and does not meet the criteria for the appointment of a special prosecutor””

DOES NOT MEET THE CRITERIA!!

The “go to” statement for anything and everything the administration doesn’t want to touch.

[stanne]

“It might appear that he’s trying to influence the conduct of the investigation,” Cornyn said on the Senate floor this week. “That’s a real problem.”

It MIGHT appear? That’s a problem? Is it or is it not?

This wimpiness is what makes voters flock to some relatively unpredictable non politician

Get a clue cornyn

Loretta lynch is on this case?

They’re fooling around It’s not enough that our enemies know that our state department and White House are not defending our state department people in country and.for years after, but they have to throw the most crony
Clinton mob congressman

Cronyn knows her. If I do, he does

And a ton more.

They take care of these people much more than they do our state department workers.

[Cheerio]

Never happen! Anyone thinking that Obie, Lynch, or the Klintoons are going to allow this RAT infested quagmire to spin out of control is smoking some funny weed. Klintoon will head out after Obie if he and his AG throws her under the bus.

No indictment and no stepping aside - take that to the bank. This is just MSM mischief.

[Ken522]

That’s interesting, Don - it means ValJar was in on it, and if it goes to a SP then ValJar will be implicated in improper handling of classified information: You think maybe she has already told the Clinton’s “If I get thrown under the bus about this, you both are coming with me!”

[stanne]

Calling for it? Of course they won’t get it done. They have to call for it tgey look ridiculous now in front of the tv audience. But this is just for that crowd, which will get back to being too busy to put it together that this is a republican majority congress AND senate allowing lynch to be in charge of this to begin with. They are not taking care of our ambassador, state department staffers, nor any other public servant that they choose not to take care of. On their own whim

[ScottinVA]

Lynch's critics are unconvinced that the attorney general can be a neutral arbiter.

There is absolutely NO WAY Lynch can come close to neutrality. As an Obama hire, she knows Job One is covering her boss's ass end, with no exceptions. Fealty to Obama is non-negotiable and it is total. EVERYTHING gives way to that condition.

[Liz]

ACADEMY-AWARD WORTHY---Obama puts on a convincing act.
He "knows nothing." Obama didn't even know about this (snix).

PIC Circa 2010--Ex-Pres Clinton in Moscow having a laugh w/ Putin as strategic US uranium deposits were sold off to Russia for Big Bucks.

"Hahahaha. US ntl security? Hahahaha. You gotta be kidding, Vlad."

====================================================

With all the top-level intel available to him, does Obama think Americans actually believe:

<><>Obama was oblivious to the Clintons jerking around US foreign policy?

<><> Obama knew nothing of Hillary and Sid Blumenthal's emails WRT Iran (the man Obama banned from US govt employment)?

<><> Obama knew nothing about the Clinton Foundation/slush fund buck-raking activities?

<><> Obama never noticed Bill Clinton trotting around the globe?

<><> Obama never noticed the Clinton "charity" used to worm his way into the confidences of foreign leaders.... but only those leaders w/ untapped reserves of gold, uranium, oil, and other valuable commodities?

<><> Obama never knew Hillary's brother got a gold-mining permit in Haiti?

Hand-picked by Obama to run State, Hillary ran it like a shadow govt.... w/ her husband taking notes WRT buck-raking opportunities available from Hillary's actions OR inaction.

Secy Hillary never e-v-e-r uttered a discouraging word e-v-e-r......as the Clinton Foundation sucked up hundred of millions of foreign dollars from shady characters

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

I have absolutely no concerns about it whatsoever," said Clinton.

Lying, for a change, Mrs. Clinton? You and your minions have spent countless hours working up your spins. "It was just yoga routines and wedding stuff." "There was no classified information on my server." "There was no information that was marked 'classified' on my server." "It's just an inter-agency dispute." "Colin Powell and Condi Rice did the same thing." And on and on.

[MarvinStinson]

CROOKED CROOKED CROOKED

[Buckeye McFrog]

Lynch just has to stall for ten months. Than all involved will be getting pardons.

[monocle]

Given the widespread distrust of government, a decision not to prosecute Hillary could be far more devastating than a decision to proceed. Letting Hillary skate would be further proof of Washington protecting its own and highlighting the corruption that is Washington. Hillary’s phony resume of experience will become her albatross.

[The Sons of Liberty]

Already, top Republicans are calling for a special prosecutor to be brought in and evaluate the situation.

Ostensibly the GOP has majorities in both houses of congress and could appoint a prosecutor, but first thay have to get Mitchie out of the nearest bar and Paul Ryno out of 0bama's steamroom.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

"It might appear that he's trying to influence the conduct of the investigation," Cornyn said on the Senate floor this week. "That's a real problem."

It MIGHT appear?

Classic, intentional understatement.

That's a problem? Is it or is it not?

He says in so many words that it is a problem.

[Skooz]

Clinton scandal strategy:

Delay
Delay
Delay
Delay
Delay
Delay
Delay
Delay
Delay

Look...squirrel!

It’s worked since 1993.

[Calvin Cooledge]

It will never get past Director Comey. He will make an assessment that there is no criminal wrongdoing. He is a lifelong civil servant and will do nothing to hurt his pension.

[tbw2]

And given the scope of those involved, you can’t trust a special prosecutor appointed in this administration anyway.