With the FBI beginning a second criminal investigation into Hillary Clinton’s handling of classified intelligence, it’s important to address the revelations within the following WikiLeaks email. WikiLeaks Email 31077 is even more important than the 650,000 emails found on Anthony Weiner and Huma Abedin’s computers. The Wall Street Journal reports thousands of messages found on their laptop originated from Clinton’s private server, which is why the FBI decided upon yet another Clinton email probe before Election Day. However, one of the biggest questions pertaining to Comey’s first attempt at investigating Clinton has yet to be answered: Why were Cheryl Mills and Hillary Clinton granted attorney-client privilege?
Before explaining why this WikiLeaks email destroys the rationale for Clinton’s bizarre legal arrangement, let’s address why the FBI allowed the subject of a criminal investigation to evade questions. According to a Law Newz piece by Chris White, Cheryl Mills claimed she learned about Clinton’s server only after defending Clinton during the legal struggle:
However, Mills could not claim attorney-client privilege covered information she learned during her time as Clinton’s Chief of Staff. So, as Shannen Coffin, a former DOJ attorney, recently explained in an article at the Weekly Standard, “To fix that problem, Mills conveniently claimed that she did not know anything about Clinton’s email setup during her tenure at the State Department and only learned of relevant facts in her later capacity as Mrs. Clinton’s personal lawyer.”
For example, during the FOIA deposition, Mills was asked a question about why Clinton started using the clintonemail.com system. Her attorney objected to question, saying that was also covered by attorney-client privilege.
“[Mills] — she learned this — refreshed her recollection — when she was acting as the Secretary’s lawyer, producing documents to the State Department,” Wilkinson said.
However, Cheryl Mills didn’t “product documents to the State Department” until after March 18, 2015.
Nobody knew the existence of classified intelligence on Clinton’s server until July 24, 2015.
Hillary Clinton didn’t even turn over her server to the FBI until August 12, 2015.
Therefore, if Mills wasn’t asked to turn over documents before March 18, then how on Earth was she able to state the following on March 2, 2015? Here’s the WikiLeaks email with the subject reading “Fwd: POTUS on HRC emails”:
From: cheryl.mills@gmail.com
Date: 2015-03-07 21:41 Subject:
Fwd: POTUS on HRC emails
we need to clean this up – he has emails from her – they do not say state.gov
While attempting to cover up the fact President Obama had to have known about Clinton’s server (since there was no stat.gov on Clinton’s email) Mills also undermines any claim at attorney-client privilege.
Cheryl Mills clearly states her concerns about Clinton’s private server on March 7, 2015.
Mills isn’t asked to turn over any documents and there weren’t legal battles before March 18, 2015; eleven days after the email was written.
Not only does this WikiLeaks email prove both Hillary Clinton and Cheryl Mills lied to the FBI, but it also highlights the questions they maned to evade. Citing a Weekly Standard piece, the Law Newz article above explains the most vital question that Mills and Clinton managed to evade:
For example, during the FOIA deposition, Mills was asked a question about why Clinton started using the clintonemail.com system. Her attorney objected to question, saying that was also covered by attorney-client privilege.
“[Mills] — she learned this — refreshed her recollection — when she was acting as the Secretary’s lawyer, producing documents to the State Department,” Wilkinson said.
Thus, the FBI and State Department allowed Clinton and Mills to utilize this arrangement, without knowing Mill’s expressed concern before any legal battle regarding Clinton’s server.
While the WikiLeaks email also implicates President Obama, an issue of even greater importance, it shows Mills knew of Clinton’s server. With the FBI’s second criminal probe underway, the latest investigation is likely evidence of a botched cover-up. The FBI’s first probe relied on the belief that Mills didn’t know of Clinton’s server; an outlandish notion even without the WikiLeaks revelation. With the evidence of a March 7, 2015 email, it’s important the FBI ask the questions of Clinton and Mills their fabricated attorney-client privilege shielded them from answering. The issue of lying to the FBI, as proven by the timeline, is yet another concern for Clinton’s campaign.