A federal judge has ordered the FBI to disclose more details on how the agency handled Hillary Clinton’s secret email account.
U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg said court papers that describe the grand jury subpoenas the FBI obtained to press for information from Clinton’s internet service providers can be made available to the public, the Washington Times reported.
“After reviewing the document in camera, the court concludes that it largely rehashes information already made public, thus obviating any need for secrecy,” the judge said.
Two groups, Judicial Watch and Cause of Action Institute, have been pressing the government for more information about the Clinton emails, and they say the ruling is a victory for transparency.
“This order makes public details submitted by the government about the FBI’s efforts to recover then-Secretary Clinton’s unlawfully removed emails. Americans deserve to know the full scope of that investigation,” COA President John J. Vecchione told the newspaper.
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said he doesn’t understand why the Trump administration was still backing the Obama administration’s fight against transparency.
“President Trump ought to be outraged his appointees are protecting Hillary Clinton,” Fitton said. “The State Department should initiate action with the Justice Department — and both agencies should finally take the necessary steps to recover all the government emails Hillary Clinton unlawfully removed.”
Clinton’s critics have said the FBI needs to make a more robust effort to try to recover those messages that were lost after the server, which was kept at her private home, was wiped clean.
The FBI this week also refused an open-records request from a lawyer seeking the bureau’s file on the investigation, claiming there was too little public interest in the case to outweigh Clinton’s privacy interests.