State Dept. Inspector General Steve Linickby Gaius PubliusThe State Dept. has announced that it's reopening the suspended Clinton email-and-server investigation, now that the FBI investigation is concluded. (For my analysis of the Comey announcement, see this: "Picking Up James Comey’s Pieces — What He Did, What He Should Have Done & Why".)The AP reports:
WASHINGTON (AP) — The State Department is reopening an internal investigation of possible mishandling of classified information by Hillary Clinton and top aides.Spokesman John Kirby says the emails probe is restarting now that the Justice Department isn't pursuing a criminal prosecution. The State Department suspended its review in April to avoid interfering with the FBI's inquiry.Kirby set no deadline for the investigation's completion. ...
Which means there will be more from the State Dept. IG. Apparently, at least from this, the State Dept. investigation was never closed. I don't think that hit most people's radars, likely because it was not widely reported that way.Many view the original State Dept. IG report on Clinton's email and server usage as damaging to her reputation, if not damaging to her chances of winning the election. It will be interesting to see what else they discover, if anything. (The original report is available for reading or download here.)Trouble for Clinton's Aides?The AP goes on to note there could be trouble ahead for Clinton's top aides:
Kirby said this week former officials [i.e., Clinton's former top aides in the State Dept.] can still face "administrative sanctions." The most serious is loss of security clearances, which could complicate Clinton's naming of a national security team if she becomes president.Beyond the Democratic front-runner, the probe is most likely examining confidants Cheryl Mills, Jake Sullivan and Huma Abedin.
According to this, loss of security clearance could pose a problem for members of a future President Clinton's national security team.Or maybe not. In a Washington Post article entitled "I’m a lawyer specializing in security clearance cases. Hillary Clinton got off easy." writer John V. Berry, a "Virginia lawyer who specializes in cases involving security clearances" notes the following:
Security clearances are ultimately governed by presidential executive order, which means that a president can decide who does and doesn’t get a security clearance, and can change the rules. Thus, as a practical matter, a President Clinton would not face a problem obtaining access to classified information, and she could overrule any recommendations denying clearances to her trusted aides.
In order to get to the point where she could make those rulings, her candidacy will need to survive through November. Another State Dept. IG report could present another hurdle in that long march.GP