The FBI has released documents from its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.
The bureau released the records in two batches on its website.
The FBI and Justice Department declined to prosecute Clinton or any of her aides for mishandling classified information. FBI Director James Comey did call Clinton’s use of the system “extremely careless.”
In its 47-page report, the FBI stated that 81 email chains housed at one point on Clinton’s server contained information that was classified when they traversed the device. Sixty-eight of those email chains remain classified, according to the document.
The report also addresses whether Clinton’s server was hacked. It states that while investigators could not find evidence to confirm that Clinton’s email accounts or mobile devices were compromised, the analysis was limited because the FBI was unable “to obtain all mobile devices and various computer components” associated with Clinton’s email system.
Investigators were unable to analyze 13 mobile devices that had been hooked up at some point to the Clinton server. They were also unable to analyze two of the five iPads that Clinton may have used to send and receive emails, acording to the report.
That prevented investigators from “conclusively determining” whether Clinton was hacked.
The report also identifies the Clinton insider who proposed the idea of setting up a rouge email system for the Democratic presidential candidate.
In Fall 2008, Clinton’s longtime aide, Huma Abedin, proposed hiring former Clinton campaign staffer Bryan Pagliano to the system.
“At the recommendation of Huma Abedin, Clinton’s longtime aide and later Deputy Chief of Staff at State, in or around fall 2008, [Bill Clinton aide Justin Cooper] contacted Bryan Pagliano…to build the new server system and to assist Cooper with the administration of the new server system,” the report states.
Pagliano was in the process of liquidating computer equipment from Clinton’s unsuccessful presidential campaign when he received the call. According to the report, Pagliano was unaware at that time that the system he was building would be used by Hillary Clinton. He believed it would be used by Bill Clinton’s staff.
Hillary Clinton told the FBI that “at some point she became aware there was a server in the basement of her Chappaqua residence.”
But she said she was not involved in the decision to transition from an old Apple server used by her husband’s office to the one built by Pagliano.
During his Dec. 22, 2015 interview, Pagliano, who received limited immunity in exchange for his cooperation, said that at the beginning of Clinton’s tenure, someone advised him that they would not “be surprised if classified information was being transmitted to Clinton’s personal server.”
The man’s name is redacted from the FBI report.
Pagliano also told investigators that “failed attempts” at hacking the server increased over time. He set up the server’s logs to alert Bill Clinton aide Justin Cooper when hacking attempts occurred.
The FBI’s analysis was also limited because investigators were unable to recover all server equipment and because server log data was limited.
“As a result, FBI cyber analysis relied, in large part, on witness statements, email correspondence, and related forensic content found on other devices.”
During her interview, Clinton told investigators that she “did not know of the various server systems until being made aware recently.” She acknowledged that she did not “explicitly” request permission to use a private server or email address.
At one point, Clinton was asked to review a Dec. 27, 2011 email that the government has determined contained information classified as “SECRET//NOFORN.” The NOFORN mark indicates that foreigners are not allowed to view the information.
Clinton told investigators that there was no policy governing sending emails around the holidays and that she took steps to conceal the information she was sharing.
“It was often necessary to communicate in code or do the best you could to convey the information considering the email system you were using,” Clinton told investigators, according to the report.
Clinton said that if foreigners were able to obtain that particular email, it would not cause damage to the U.S. government.
Clinton also said that she received advice from former Sec. of State Colin Powell regarding her email usage. Last month reports surfaced that Clinton discussed her email practices with Powell.
Clinton said that in an email from Powell she received in 2009, he conveyed that “any communications of official business would be government records,” the reports reads. Clinton said that the email did not factor into her decision to use a personal email account.
Check back for more details about this developing story.
