The Justice Department inspector general report released Thursday revealed more personal messages between FBI agents working on the Clinton email probe that suggest a cooked outcome.
The report released new messages from an FBI agent who was one of four case officers handling the “day-to-day” activities of the investigation, and one of two FBI agents who interviewed Clinton.
In one exchange in February 2016, the FBI agent, identified only as “Agent 1,” talked to another FBI employee about interviewing Hillary Clinton’s personal IT staffer. The FBI employee asked how the interview went.
Agent 1 replied: “Awesome. Lied his ass off.”
He continued: “Went from never inside the scif [sensitive compartmented information facility] at [Clinton’s residence], to looked in when it was being constructed, to remove the trash twice, to troubleshot the secure fax with HRC a couple times, to everytime there was a secure fax i did it with HRC. Ridic,”
Lying to investigators is a federal crime, one that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn is being charged with, as well as former Trump campaign adviser George Papadopoulos. However, the FBI employee joked it “would be funny” if the guy was charged.
The FBI employee replied: “would be funny if he was the only guy charged in this deal.”
Agent 1 responded that even though he lied, “aint noone gonna do s–t.”
He wrote: “I know. For 1001. Even if he said the truth and didnt have a clearance when handling the secure fax — aint noone gonna do s–t”
The report revealed other exchanges that revealed Agent 1’s belief that the outcome of the probe was cooked, in text messages he sent to a fellow FBI agent on the case with whom he was also involved in a relationship.
He advocated against even interviewing Clinton. “We have nothing—shouldn’t even be interviewing”
He also messaged: “My god … I’m actually starting to have embarrassment sprinkled on my disappointment. … Ever been forced to do something you adamantly opposed.”
In a later message, he wrote: “done interviewing the president” in reference to Clinton.
The FBI agent sent a message to him on February 9, 2016, complaining about the investigative work she was being given. He wrote her back:
“Yeah, I hear you. You guys have a shitty task, in a shitty environment. To look for something conjured in a place where you cant find it, for a case that doesnt matter and is predestined.”
On election day, he sent her, “You should know; … that I’m … with her.”
He also called the investigation “the most meaningless thing I’ve ever done,” a “continued waste of resources and time and focus.”
“Its just so obvious how pointless this exercise is …” he wrote.
He later told inspector general investigators that he was “embarrassed” his messages were read and denied it affected his actions in the investigation.
“You know, guys, I just, I think this was primarily used as a personal conversation venting mode for me. I’m embarrassed for it,” he said.
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