logo
FBI ‘failed to investigate' Hillary Clinton's email case, declassified documents reveal

FBI ‘failed to investigate' Hillary Clinton's email case, declassified documents reveal

Indian Express4 days ago
The Federal Bureau of Investigation allegedly 'failed to fully investigate' former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and mishandling of highly classified information while she served in the federal government under former President Barack Obama, a portion of which
The declassified documents, released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, reveal that a confidential source gave thumb drives to the FBI which had State Department's data acquired via cyber intrusions, including mails from ex-President Obama and others.
Grassley said, 'This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI's investigation of former Secretary Clinton's email usage and mishandling of highly classified information.'
The report has been authored by Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who holds the same position at the Federal Reserve Board and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It remains unclear if the FBI has conducted any further thorough investigation in the hard drives it received, since the 2018 watchdog report was released.
Hillary Clinton, who served as Secretary of State under Obama's administration from 2009 to 2013, had been accused of improperly storing or transmitting classified materials on a private email server.
The FBI had advised the Department of Justice in 2016 that Clinton should not be prosecuted over the matter. It was in 2016 when she ran for presidency from the Democratic Party against Republican leader and now President Donald Trump.
In a press release, then FBI director James Comey said 'Although there is evidence of potential violations of the statutes regarding the handling of classified information, our judgment is that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case.'
The declassified documents also reveal that then-FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe asked then-US Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates in a memo that if he could refer to the drives for FBI's investigation Russian interference in the 2016 presidential polls.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Did Elon Musk order the 2022 Starlink shutdown in Ukraine? What SpaceX said
Did Elon Musk order the 2022 Starlink shutdown in Ukraine? What SpaceX said

Hindustan Times

timean hour ago

  • Hindustan Times

Did Elon Musk order the 2022 Starlink shutdown in Ukraine? What SpaceX said

As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fourth year, a report has claimed that tech mogul Elon Musk ordered a brief shutdown of Starlink during a key Ukrainian offensive. The report further added that Musk's alleged order resulted in a communications blackout for Ukrainian troops.(REUTERS) In a report published by news agency Reuters, Elon Musk reportedly told senior engineers in SpaceX's California offices to cut coverage in areas, including Kherson, which was a key region Ukraine was trying to reclaim in 2022. Three people familiar with the command told Reuters that it was Musk's decision to cut the comms and at least a hundred Starlink terminals were deactivated. The report further added that Musk's alleged order resulted in a communications blackout for Ukrainian troops. Soldiers panicked, drones surveilling Russian forces went dark, and long-range artillery units, reliant on Starlink to aim their fire, struggled to hit targets, officials from the Ukrainian military told Reuters, adding that due to this, the operation to reclaim Kherson failed. Sources further told Reuters that one of the major reason behind this comms outage was Musk's fear of a possible nuclear response from Russia. Reuters' report on Musk's alleged order comes a day after Starlink witnessed a massive global outage, where thousands lost connectivity. Starlink confirmed the global disruption and Elon Musk took to X to apologise for the outage. "Service will be restored shortly. Sorry for the outage. SpaceX will remedy root cause to ensure it doesn't happen again," wrote Musk. SpaceX denies Ukraine outage report While an official statement has not been released, SpaceX has denied claims that Elon Musk ordered a comms shutdown during the Ukraine war. In an email to Reuters regarding the news agency's queries, a SpaceX spokesperson called the findings of the report "inaccurate." The spokesperson further referred to an earlier X post by the Musk-led company: 'Starlink is fully committed to providing service to Ukraine.' When the initial reports of this alleged deliberate outage surfaced, Musk also took to X in March and stated that Starlink "would never do such a thing."

India-US trade deal will be a game changer for investors: Arvind Panagariya
India-US trade deal will be a game changer for investors: Arvind Panagariya

Business Standard

timean hour ago

  • Business Standard

India-US trade deal will be a game changer for investors: Arvind Panagariya

The proposed trade agreement between India and the United States could be a major breakthrough for India's investment climate, said Arvind Panagariya, chairman of the 16th Finance Commission. The deal, currently under negotiation, is expected to significantly liberalise India's trade regime and enhance the country's attractiveness for global investors, he said. 'This will be a big shot in the arm,' Panagariya stated during an interaction hosted at the Consulate General of India in New York this week. Agreement with EU likely to follow US deal Panagariya expressed optimism that the India-EU trade agreement would follow closely on the heels of the US deal. 'Once the India-US trade deal happens, the one with the European Union will also fall into place conveniently,' he said. 'These are the two largest markets. For any future investor, having open access to both will make India an extremely attractive destination.' The economist emphasised that reduced trade friction with the US and the EU would be a game changer, significantly lowering barriers for foreign companies looking to invest in or trade with India. Tariff cuts and liberalisation on the cards Regarding tariffs, Panagariya noted that the agreement would likely involve India lowering some of its duties. 'Potentially, a lot of good can come out of it. India will be reducing its tariffs as part of the process, which in itself is a tremendous opportunity,' he said. Panagariya said the most significant outcome of the trade deal would be domestic liberalisation. Improved access to the US market over competing nations would also be a major advantage. Trump administration signals deal is close US President Donald Trump has repeatedly stated that a trade agreement with India is imminent. As recently as last week, he remarked, 'We're very close to a deal with India, where they open it up.' He has reportedly set August 1 as a deadline for several countries, including India, to finalise trade agreements or face increased tariffs. Trade figures and future targets According to the latest figures, total goods trade between the US and India stood at $129.2 billion in 2024. US goods exports to India reached $41.8 billion, marking a rise of 3.4 per cent ($1.4 billion) from 2023. Meanwhile, goods imports from India totalled $87.4 billion, up 4.5 per cent ($3.7 billion) from the previous year. The resulting trade deficit stood at $45.7 billion. India and the US have also announced a new ambition, dubbed 'Mission 500,' which aims to more than double the bilateral trade to $500 billion by 2030. (With inputs from PTI, agencies)

Trump's immigration overhaul: What it means for H-1B and citizenship tests
Trump's immigration overhaul: What it means for H-1B and citizenship tests

Business Standard

timean hour ago

  • Business Standard

Trump's immigration overhaul: What it means for H-1B and citizenship tests

The Trump administration is planning sweeping changes to the United States immigration system, including an overhaul of the H-1B visa programme for skilled foreign workers and a tougher citizenship test. The proposed reforms signal a renewed push to align immigration policy with the administration's economic and ideological goals. Joseph Edlow, newly confirmed director of US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), revealed the administration's plans in an interview with T he New York Times on Friday (local time). Edlow, who previously served in an acting capacity in 2020, now leads the agency overseeing work visas, citizenship certification, and asylum programmes. What is the H-1B visa? The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations requiring theoretical or technical expertise. These roles typically span fields such as technology, engineering and medicine. Each year, the government issues 85,000 new H-1B visas through a lottery system, including 20,000 reserved for individuals with advanced degrees from US institutions. The visa is widely used by the tech industry, which argues it is critical to filling talent gaps in a competitive global labour market. H-1B visa reform: High wages over lottery At the centre of the administration's plans is a revamp of the H-1B scheme. Edlow said the current randomised lottery process should be replaced with a system that prioritises employers offering higher wages. 'The way H-1B needs to be used… is to supplement, not supplant, the US economy and US workers,' Edlow said. He argued that prioritising higher-paid positions would help the programme better serve the national interest and reduce criticism from Republican hardliners who claim it suppresses American wages. Vice-President JD Vance added to that criticism this week, accusing firms of laying off domestic employees while hiring foreign workers. The proposed changes have drawn criticism from immigration policy experts, who argue that the H-1B programme is key to ensuring US companies can hire the best and brightest international graduates of US universities. Citizenship test: Return to tougher standards The administration is also preparing changes to the naturalisation test required of immigrants seeking US citizenship. Edlow said the current version is too easy and undermines the law's intent. 'It's very easy to kind of memorise the answers,' he said. 'I don't think we're really comporting with the spirit of the law.' Currently, applicants study 100 civics questions and must correctly answer six out of 10 during the test. Under Trump's first term, the test was toughened to include more questions and a higher passing threshold. Edlow said the administration plans to reinstate that version soon. US tightens asylum procedures USCIS under Edlow has already begun tightening asylum procedures, echoing policies from Trump's first term that had been partially blocked in court. While Edlow has ruled out reviving the controversial 'public charge' rule — which denied green cards to immigrants using public benefits — his approach has been consistent, with efforts to restrict access to permanent residency and citizenship unless it can be clearly linked to economic or national interest benefits. Edlow has also signalled that future policy decisions will focus on 'net positive' immigration. 'If we're looking at the people that are coming over… to advance certain economic agendas that we have and otherwise benefit the national interest — that's absolutely what we need to be taking care of,' he said. Donald Trump's US immigration agenda Since returning to office in January 2025, the Trump administration has moved swiftly to reshape the H-1B visa landscape. The Department of Homeland Security has proposed replacing the current lottery-based selection system with a wage-weighted model that would prioritise higher-paying job offers—a move aimed at aligning the visa programme more closely with the national economic interest. The proposal is currently under review by the Office of Management and Budget. Separately, Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation, the Colleges for the American People Act of 2025, that would eliminate long-standing exemptions allowing universities and non-profit research institutions to bypass the H-1B visa cap, meaning foreign academic staff could soon face the same restrictions as those in the private sector.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store