The Federal Bureau of Investigation was unable to obtain any of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s mobile devices while she was the top U.S. diplomat, but now we sort of have an idea why.
The FBI was unable to obtain any of the Blackberry mobile devices Clinton used while heading the Department of State, according to newly-released documents summarizing the investigation into Clinton’s handling of classified emails.
Clinton had 13 mobile devices that she potentially used to access emails on her private clintonemail.com server based out of her Chappaqua, New York home. At least eight of these mobile devices were used while she was secretary of state, but Clinton’s lawyers were unable to find any of them.
Clinton aides told FBI investigators the former diplomat went through phones often, and the “whereabout” of her old phones would become unknown once she switched to a new device.
But Clinton aide Justin Cooper recalled at least two instances where he “destroyed” the secretary’s old Blackberry cell phones, according to FBI documents.
Cooper would destroy Clinton’s old phones by “breaking them in half or hitting them with a hammer,” according to investigators.
The FBI released the findings of its investigation into Clinton’s use of a private email server while working in the Obama administration Friday.
Documents were released after FBI Director James Comey called Clinton’s handling of classified materials “extremely careless,” but said there was no precedent to use to bring a strong case against her.
“Although we did not find clear evidence that Secretary Clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence they were extremely careless in their handling of highly classified information,” Comey said in July.
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