The Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has released a report that brings to light significant gaps in the FBI's investigation of Hillary Clinton's private email server during the contentious 2016 presidential campaign. The OIG's findings contest the previously held belief that Clinton was completely cleared of any wrongdoing.
At the heart of the controversy are approximately 30,000 emails unaccounted for from Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State. The missing emails became a focal point for then-candidate Donald Trump, who accused Clinton of intentionally deleting them to conceal misconduct and evade accountability.
Made public on Monday, the OIG report detailed that the FBI had recovered thumb drives with information potentially pertinent to their investigation. However, as pointed out by Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley, the FBI leadership at the time—then-Director James Comey, former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, and ex-Special Agent Peter Strzok—did not perform thorough, targeted searches of those devices. Grassley underscored the importance of these findings by stating, “The Clinton investigation failed to hit the mark.”
The annex to the report further reveals that the FBI never examined the contents of the thumb drives, despite internal recommendations for an immediate review to evaluate potential foreign influence or security breaches. This oversight was deemed a substantial lapse in the investigation process by the OIG, undercutting the expected rigor in such a high-profile case.
The report also exposed communications between then-Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and representatives of the Soros Open Society Foundations, hinting at attempts to protect Clinton's candidacy from the possibly damaging effects of the email scandal. These revelations were highlighted by the news outlet Trending Politics, suggesting an effort to undermine the email investigation.
Former FBI Director Comey's announcement in July 2016, which absolved Clinton before she was fully interviewed, provided a political safety net for the former secretary amid an intense and closely fought election. That same month, Comey authorized "Crossfire Hurricane," an investigation into alleged collusion between Trump's campaign and Russian operatives, despite intelligence that suggested minimal Russian interference and no definitive links to Trump's camp.
Senator Grassley has called for ongoing transparency and an exhaustive review, citing the national security ramifications of the issue. He commended the commitment of Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel to fulfill his congressional request for further investigation.
This report reignites discussions concerning the FBI's conduct in politically sensitive probes and casts new doubts on the integrity of the 2016 election inquiry. It underscores persistent concerns over accountability within federal agencies and the intertwining of politics and law enforcement. As further details emerge, the 2016 election remains a subject of substantial public interest and debate, reflecting diverse views on justice, transparency, and institutional trust in Washington.
