The saga of Hillary Clinton’s private server continues unabated. According to Democrats, everyone should “move on” because there is “nothing to see.”
But now we are told that the Obama administration wants to withhold 22 emails from that server. In a statement that has shocked everyone, those 22 emails are now classified “top secret,” according to the State Department.
So its not exactly “nothing to see!”
Washington insiders, lawmakers and pundits aren’t buying that “top secret,” classification. It smells more like a political cover-up. Insiders have been expecting some kind of coverup as Hillary’s major legal problems rolled on, and the FBI investigation started finding things the administration might not want to be released.
Even if it isn’t just a cover-up, the very existence of emails classed as top secret in presidential candidate Clinton’s inbox will only fuel conspiracy theories and heighten public outrage in the closing days before the Iowa Caucuses Monday.
The Obama administration confirmed that 22 emails, extending over 37-pages, sitting on Clinton’s personal email server are at the highest levels of classification. the State Department has already released some emails, all of which were rated at lower classification levels.
Obviously, these 22 top secret emails will not be made public at all. Fueling speculation is the fact that they are to be held in their entirety – not even the envelope or metadata is to be released.
John Kirby, the State Department spokesman confirmed with The Hill, “These emails will be denied in full, meaning they will not be produced online on our FOIA (‘Freedom of Information Act’), website. In response to a FOIA request, it is not unusual to deny or withhold a document in full.”
Kirby said that the State Department will not explain anything about the contents of these email messages.
The Clinton presidential campaign doesn’t believe the “top secret” classification either. They mocked the State Department report calling it “over classification run amok.”
This is overclassification run amok. We adamently oppose the complete blocking of the release of these emails. https://t.co/77s6mtm0JA
– Brian Fallon (@brianefallon) January 29, 2016
Those 22 supposedly “top secret” emails are not the only ones being witheld, though. There are 18 mails between Obama and Hillary Clinton that nobody is allowed to see.
The State Department said on Friday that it would withhold those 18 emails, “to protect the president’s ability to receive unvarnished advice and counsel.”
Speaking specifically about the 18 emails, Kirby said they “have not been determined to be classified. They are entirely separate and distinct from the emails that were upgraded.”
Wait a minute! Wasn’t it the same State Department and Clinton’s presidential campaign that said earlier there was no reason for anyone to worry about the emails, because they were just normal messages?
Critics are also concerned about the procedures used to hide critically important emails from Clinton’s personal server.
Now it is really looking like a cover-up.
People are starting to wonder whether any of the information would be so damaging it could alter the presidential election. Clinton’s Republican rivals will obviously use this information to their advantage. We can expect to hear accusations that the Democratic front-runner has violated the law and jeopardized U.S. secrets.
Republicans were already starting to press the Justice Department to press charges against the former Secretary of State.
Needless to say, White House press secretary Josh Earnest vehemently denied there was political interference in the process. Earnest told reporters, “I can tell you with full confidence that there has been no political interference in this process.”
How strange, almost nobody believes that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BoOUfdZKp8
