FOIA Advisor

FOIA News: Judge grants discovery in FOIA case pertaining to Clinton's email

Allan BlutsteinComment

Judge threatens subpoena against Clinton over emails

By Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times , Feb. 23, 2016

A federal judge warned Tuesday that he may have to subpoena former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s entire secret email account, saying he has real questions about whether the Obama administration gave her special treatment.

In the interim, Judge Emmet G. Sullivan said he was granting discovery to Judicial Watch, a public interest law firm who’s sued to get a look at the emails, meaning the group will be able to demand the State Department explain who approved Mrs. Clinton’s server, how many officials knew about it, and what accommodations they made to her after her emails become a public issue.

And the judge said he is “inclined” to issue a subpoena eventually, forcing the department to go back to Mrs. Clinton and demand she turn over the entire clintonemail.com system she and top aide Huma Abedin used during their time in the department. He withheld that order for now, saying he will wait to see what discovery produces, but said he’s concerned with the chain of events that led to the emails being shrouded in secrecy for so many years.

“How on earth can the court conclude there is not at minimum a reasonable suspicion of bad faith,” Judge Sullivan said.

Read more here.