President Obama’s nominee for attorney general Loretta Lynch would not commit to investigate former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email account and server during her tenure at the State Department.
In a letter to Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) responding to an inquiry he sent earlier this month, Lynch would not say she would investigate or appoint a Special Counsel to the case.
“In my current role as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, my awareness of this issue has been limited to media reports and therefore, I do not have enough information at this time to determine whether action by the Department of Justice is warranted,” Lynch wrote in the letter dated Wednesday.
Lynch is expected to be confirmed on a tight vote. Vitter has already said he will not vote for her due to her support for executive amnesty and record on money laundering.. He adds that her most recent letter gives him even more doubts.
“Hillary Clinton’s decision to destroy public records is a huge problem, and failure to investigate these practices sets a dangerous precedent for the Administration moving forward,” Vitter said in a statement. “Loretta Lynch’s response gives me no confidence that she will hold the Administration accountable for these sorts of cover-ups.”
Lynch’s confirmation has been held up due to Democrat opposition to abortion language in a human trafficking bill. Republican leadership has said it will not take up the Lynch nomination until the human trafficking bill is complete.
Read the full letter:
Dear Senator Vitter:
This responds to your letter of April 2, 2015, which asked whether I would commit to an investigation of the allegations related to Hillary Clinton’s use of her personal email account and server. In my current role as the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, my awareness of this issue has been limited to media reports and therefore, I do not have enough information at this time to determine whether action by the Department of Justice is warranted.
You also requested that I appoint a Special Counsel in the event the Department investigates this matter and finds violations of federal record-keeping laws. I assure you that, if I am confirmed as Attorney General, I will exercise my discretion as Attorney General in an appropriate manner in all cases. As I testified at my confirmation hearing, if I am confirmed as Attorney General, the Constitution and the laws of the United States will be my guide in exercising the powers and responsibilities of that office, and I will fulfill those responsibilities with integrity and independence.
I hope this information is helpful to you. Thank you again for your consideration of my nomination.
Sincerely,
Loretta E. Lynch
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