Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks to the reporters at United Nations headquarters, Tuesday, March 10, 2015. Clinton conceded that she should have used a government email to conduct business as secretary of state, saying her decision was simply a matter of “convenience.” (Photo: AP/Seth Wenig)
WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee (RNC) on Wednesday filed two lawsuits to obtain public records related to Hillary Clinton at the State Department. The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to compel the State Department to produce records requested in October and December of last year.
As of now, no documents or information have been provided.
“The Obama Administration has failed to comply with records requests in a timely manner as required by law,” said Chairman Reince Priebus. “For too long the State Department has undermined the public and the media’s legitimate right to records under the Freedom of Information Act, and it’s time it complies with the law. If this administration claims to be the ‘most transparent in history,’ and Clinton the ‘most transparent person in public life,’ then they should prove it, release these records, and allow the American people to hold her accountable.”
FROM RNC:
BACKGROUND
The first lawsuit seeks electronic communications sent to and from then-Secretary Clinton via text or BlackBerry Messenger, as well as emails sent to and from several key senior aides: former Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills, former Director of Policy Planning Jake Sullivan, Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy, and former IT Staffer Bryan Pagliano, whom The Washington Post reported last week was granted immunity for his cooperation with the FBI’s investigation into Clinton’s server. This lawsuit focuses on those communications sent and received during Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State.
The second lawsuit seeks communications between senior officials at the State Department and the Clinton campaign and other allied entities. This lawsuit focuses principally on communications that were sent or received after Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State.
FOIA was intended to inform and educate citizens about their government and elected officials. Disclosure of the records requested in these lawsuits would carry out that purpose. The RNC seeks records that will ensure that the public has information to consider whether former Secretary Clinton is fit to serve as the next President of the United States.
The Justice Department is looking into Mrs. Clinton’s use of a private email server while conducting official State Department business. However, the RNC isn’t taking any chances. There are numerous other organizations that have filed similiar lawsuits, including The Association Press, Gawker, Judicial Watch and others. All of them claim they have been stone-walled by the State Department, though the RNC argues they have standing.
