Posted on 10/24/2016 10:46:09 AM PDT by jazusamo
Full title: Clinton State Department IT Official John Bentel Takes Fifth Amendment During Judicial Watch Deposition
(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that another witness in the Clinton email matter asserted his Fifth Amendment rights during a Judicial Watch deposition today. The deposition of John Bentel, the State Department’s former Director of Information Resource Management of the Executive Secretariat (“S/ES-IRM”), was ordered by U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan. S/ES-IRM is the office that handles information technology for the Office of the Secretary. Mr. Bentel answered over 90 questions with “On advice from my legal counsel, I decline to answer the question and I invoke my Fifth Amendment rights.”
Mr. Bentel, on advice of Obama Justice Department and personal counsel, refused to answer any questions about whether Hillary Clinton was paying his legal fees, offered him employment, or other financial incentives. There were three government attorneys and two personal attorneys present for the deposition.
On August 19, 2016 , Judge Sullivan granted Judicial Watch’s request to depose Bentel, citing significant discrepancies in Bentel previous statements on the Clinton non-state.gov email system:
The Court is persuaded that Mr. Bentel should be deposed because the record in this case appears to contradict his sworn testimony before the [House Select] Benghazi Committee. . . . Specifically, Mr. Bentel testified that he was not aware that Secretary Clinton’s email account was housed on a private server until media reports in 2015. . . . However, several emails indicate Mr. Bentel knew about the private server as early as 2009.
In ordering Bentel’s deposition, Judge Sullivan also cited a May, 2016 Inspector General’s report that found:
Mr. Bentel told employees in his office that Secretary Clinton’s email arrangement had been approved by the State Department’s legal staff and also instructed his subordinates not to discuss the Secretary’s email again:
In one meeting, one staff member raised concerns that information sent and received on Secretary Clinton’s account could contain Federal records that needed to be preserved in order to satisfy Federal recordkeeping requirements. According to the staff member, the Director stated that the Secretary’s personal system had been reviewed and approved by Department legal staff and that the matter was not to be discussed any further. . . . According to the other S/ES-IRM staff member who raised concerns about the server, the Director stated that the mission of S/ES-IRM is to support the Secretary and instructed the staff never to speak of the Secretary’s personal email system again.
Judicial Watch deposed seven former Clinton top aides and current State Department officials, including top Clinton aides Cheryl Mills and Huma Abedin . Judicial Watch also deposed IT official Brian Pagliano, who asserted his Fifth Amendment right not to testify during the Judicial Watch deposition . And Clinton last week answered Judicial Watch’s question under oath regarding her non-government email system.
The depositions come in connection with a Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit that seeks records about the controversial employment status of Huma Abedin, deputy chief of staff to former Secretary Clinton ( Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:13-cv-01363 )).
“The fact that yet another State Department official took the Fifth highlights the disturbing implication that criminal acts took place related to the Clinton email and our Freedom of Information Act requests,” stated Judicial Watch Tom Fitton.
The full case history of the Abedin employment lawsuit is accessible on the Judicial Watch website.
Guarantee his name will be on the pardon list released in Dec/Jan. Book it.
Off the Wall Ping!
Contact to be added.
Immediate introduce policies by EO and then legislation that anyone asserting their 5th amendment privilege in the course of a congressional or legal investigation for activity being investigated as a person fulfilling duties requiring that of Public Trust shall be immediately removed said position and permanently disbarred for further positions of Public Trust. Furthermore all benefits and retirement provision shall be irreversibly revoked from all positions, including all previous positions of Public Trust.
The justification is simple, if you refuse to answer questions during your security clearance investigations, that is grounds for immediate disqualification for said Public Trust.
BUMP!
ping
The only way to get to the bottom of this is to elect Donald John Trump President.
The REJECTION is strong in that one!
... or ...
The PROTECTION is strong in that one!
The headline should be: “Another member of Hillary’s Organized Crime Family takes the Fifth”
If the Just us Dept. granted immunity to this Peter Principle specimen how can he take the fifth?
Seems like the Judge should hold him to the agreement. Talk or sit in the Slammer...
Very good post. Accurate and sorely needed.Anyone in a public Gov position should be required to reveal all information from thier job unless it is Classified. Right now it is a license to commit crimes and provide a free pass. Rights to the 5th should not include Gov entities. They are separate.
Innocent people don’t take the 5th.
He knew what he was doing was illegal
Excellent!
Somebody should make a video montage of everytime somebody associated with the clintons or the clintons themselves either plead the fifth or stated they didn’t recall. Problem is that video would probably be 4 hours long
You bet he did. The turkey should be charged, tried and convicted.
Taking the Fifth if you are a government official, in my mind implies that you were aware of corruption and illegal activities, and willingly participated in them.
GUILTY.
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