Following Hillary Clinton’s voluntary interview with the FBI Saturday, Clinton gave an interview to NBC’s Chuck Todd to discuss some aspects of the case, as well as how Hillary felt about the fact the Bill met with the Attorney General during an ongoing investigation.
Todd asks how Clinton would describe the interview with the FBI (which must not be called an interrogation: after all she had no less than five of her own lawyers “volunteer” to be present during the “interview”) after hearing that it was “civil and businesslike.” Ironically Clinton said she was eager to give the interview, even though it took Bill’s heavily publicized meeting with Loretta Lynch to force the issue.
“Well it was both, it was something I had offered to do since last August, I’ve been eager to do it and I was pleased to have the opportunity to assist the department in bringing its review to a conclusion.“
On why Clinton believes no laws were broken by using a private server, as expected Clinton gave the same answer we have heard frequently over the course of the investigation.
“Let me just repeat what I have repeated for many months now, I never received nor sent any material that was marked classified.“
After Clinton said that there weren’t going to be any further comments on the matter, Todd shifts the conversation to Bill’s allegedly coincidental meeting with US Attorney General Loretta Lynch at an airport in Phoenix. Todd asked what Hillary’s initial reaction was upon learning the news.
“Well I learned about it in the news, and it was a short, chance meeting at a airport tarmac. Both of their planes as I understand it were landing on the same tarmac at about the same time. The Attorney General’s husband was there, they said hello, they talked about grand kids, which is very much on our minds these days. Golf, their mutual friend former Attorney General Janet Reno, it was purely social.“
Todd then asks Hillary if she views what Bill did as inappropriate. Clinton reiterated that it was a chance meeting, and she actually laughed at the assumption that anything related to the investigation would be discussed.
“Well it was a short, chance meeting that occurred and they did not discuss the Department of Justice’s review. And I know that some nonetheless have viewed the meeting in a different light, and both the Attorney General and my husband said they would not do it again. The bottom line for me is I respect the professionalism and integrity of the officials at the Department of Justice handling this process.”
“I think hindsight is 20/20, both the Attorney General and my husband have said that they wouldn’t do it again even though it was from all accounts that I have heard and seen an exchange of pleasantries.”
Hillary was then asked the dreaded Donald Trump question regarding how it feels that voters believe Trump is more honest.
“When you’ve been in the eye of the tornado for as long as I have, I know that there’s a lot of incoming fire, I accept that. I’m going to keep standing up and talking about what I have done and what I will do.”
But the punchline, and by far the most important moment of the interview, one which would confirm there is indeed collusion between the DOJ and Hillary and that “the fix is in”, is whether the FBI had advised Hillary that no charges would be filed against her.
Recall that overnight CNN reported that “within the next two weeks or so, the expectation is there will be an announcement of no charges being brought against Clinton so long as no evidence of wrongdoing emerges from her interview with the FBI, sources familiar with the investigation told CNN.”
Rounding up all up, Todd said he’s hearing reports that no charges will be brought, and asks Clinton if any indication was given that no charges would be filed. Hillary, clearly aware a positive response would confirm all suspicion about a captured department of justice, didn’t answer.
Chuck Todd: “There is some news reports out there that indicate that no charges may be brought against you in a final decision in a couple of weeks. Were you given that indication today that no charges would be filed and are you confident that no charges would be filed?”
Clinton: “Chuck, I am not going to comment on the process. I have no knowledge, any timeline is entirely up to the department.“
Below is the full interview:
As far as how Bill Clinton is handling the situation, the AP reports that upon reflecting on the event, Bill wouldn’t do it again – something we seem to recall hearing before.
From AP
On Saturday, an aide to the former president said in a statement that Clinton’s conversation with Lynch was unplanned and entirely social in nature. But Clinton now recognizes how others could take another view and agrees with Lynch that he wouldn’t do it again.
The aide wasn’t authorized to be named and spoke about Bill Clinton’s reaction to the controversy on condition of anonymity.
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How does Hillary’s presidential opponent feel about everything? Well, as NBC News puts it, Donald Trump was incredulous over Bill Clinton’s meeting with Lynch, saying “He opened up Pandora’s box.”
Trump did take to Twitter to offer a few thoughts however, saying that it is now impossible for the FBI not to recommend criminal charges.
It is impossible for the FBI not to recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton. What she did was wrong! What Bill did was stupid!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2016
via http://ift.tt/29mWEoA Tyler Durden