Just because the FBI closed its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails doesn’t mean the issue is over.
On Wednesday, several Republican chairmen of congressional committees sent a letter to the Department of Justice requesting information about restrictions the FBI had when investigating Clinton’s private email server.
The request comes after news reports that the FBI was required to destroy laptops after reviewing them as part of immunity deals for Clinton’s aides. It was signed by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Jason Chaffetz of Utah, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley of Iowa and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes of California.
The letter was sent the same day that the conservative group Citizens United released a new batch of emails that show the close relationship between the Clinton State Department and the Clinton Foundation. It obtained them through a lawsuit filed against the State Department after its Freedom of Information Act request went unanswered.
Other emails released in recent weeks by Citizens United and other groups looking to hurt Clinton in her presidential race against Donald Trump show that top aides were in regular contact with foundation officials about donors’ requests, job applicants and talking points for Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, who started the foundation.
The periodic releases are expected to continue through Election Day and into 2018, whether Clinton is elected president or not. Courts have given the State Department time to review and release all the records the lawsuits sought.
Clinton has been criticized for months for exclusively using personal email routed through a private server for government business. The FBI launched an inquiry into the handling of sensitive data after classified information was found in some emails, but the Department of Justice declined to prosecute.
The issue continues to cloud her run for the White House. On Tuesday night, Republican Mike Pence criticized Clinton about the issues in the vice presidential debate against Tim Kaine.
“There’s a reason why people question the trustworthiness of Hillary Clinton,” Pence said. “And that’s because they’re paying attention. I mean, the reality is, when she was secretary of state…come on. She had a Clinton Foundation accepting contributions from foreign governments.”