State Department: Don’t Ask Hillary Aides About Classified Info in Lawsuit

[think]

State Department: Don’t Ask Hillary Aides About Classified Info in Lawsuit

By Shane Harris - 04.06.16 12:00 AM ET

Lawyers object to any attempt to ask Huma Abedin, Cheryl Mills, and others about how information was handled—and are dead set against Clinton testifying.

Lawyers for the State Department want to limit the types of questions that a watchdog group can ask former aides to Hillary Clinton, and potentially the former secretary of state herself, about her creation and use of a private email system while she was in office.

~Snip~

State’s lawyers proposed that the group only be allowed to ask questions about “the reasons for the creation of the clintonemail.com system,” and not about how classified information was handled on the system or any issues related to protecting it from hackers.

The State Department lawyers also indicated that they may object to any attempt to depose Clinton. Judicial Watch hasn’t proposed to depose the Democratic presidential front runner, but has said it wants to interview Huma Abedin, one of Clinton’s closest aides and a personal friend; Cheryl Mills, Clinton’s former chief of staff; Patrick Kennedy, a senior State Department official; and others who were involved in discussions among State Department officials about Clinton’s email usage.

~Snip~

The lawsuit brought by Judicial Watch is one of dozens by activists and journalists seeking information about Clinton’s private email system, which was run out of a “homebrew” server in her house in New York. It’s unusual, however, in that it’s only one of two cases in which a federal judge has agreed to allow discovery, including potential examination of government documents and interviews with current or former officials...

Read more:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/04/06/state-department-tries-to-limit-judicial-watch-questions-in-hillary-clinton-email-case.html

[frylock]

1. State is in full-blown CYA mode.

[Skwmom]

2. I never realized it was such a cesspool. n/t

[msanthrope]

5. Judicial Watch should be able to ask about classified material?

That's insane.

[nc4bo]

3. I wonder why they would say such a thing?

Is there something in the corner we're missing?

Incompetence. Perhaps the entire State Department and higher are afraid that gross incompetence and deliberate or unintended negligence was found to be the rule rather than the exception?

Some questions demand answers and if those answers aren't sufficient, keep digging for the truth but don't be surprised if what you find is mind-bogglingly atrocious

[thesquanderer]

4. Actually, I agree with the State Dep't on this one.

This is not the FBI investigation, which should be allowed to cover everything.

This is in specific response to a FOIA related suit brought by a conservative group:

Judicial Watch brought the suit in an effort to obtain information about the government’s employment agreement with Abedin, a key member of Clinton’s inner circle who simultaneously held four jobs for a six month period in 2012: at the State Department, at the Clinton family’s foundation, in Hillary Clinton’s personal office, and at a private consulting firm with connections to the Clintons.

It should not be allowed to turn into a fishing expedition by a group with a conservative agenda. It should be restricted to things relevant to the suit.

The rest should be looked at independently, as is being done.