Judicial Watch files (new) motion to depose Hillary

Clearly, these guys do not sleep...

Judicial Watch Asks Federal Court for Additional Discovery: Seeks Testimony of Hillary Clinton

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today that it submitted a request for permission to depose former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; the Director of Office of Correspondence and Records of the Executive Secretariat (“S/ES-CRM”) Clarence Finney; and the former Director of Information Resource Management of the Executive Secretariat (“S/ES-IRM”) John Bentel. Today’s request arises in a Judicial Watch Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit before U.S. District Court Judge Emmet G. Sullivan that seeks records about the controversial employment status of Huma Abedin, former Deputy Chief of Staff to Clinton. The lawsuit was reopened because of revelations about the clintonemail.com system. (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:13-cv-01363)).

This update is at the top of the article:

***Immediately after filing this request for further discovery, the court ordered Clinton, Finney and Bentel to respond by Tuesday, July 12 and for Judicial Watch to reply by Thursday July 14. A hearing is set for Monday, July 18, 2016.

With reference to the Comey remarks, the brief says:

In his statement announcing the conclusion of the FBI investigation into Clinton’s email practices, Comey stated, “The FBI also discovered several thousand work-related e-mails that were not in the group of 30,000 that were returned by Secretary Clinton to State in 2014.” The FBI’s finding raises questions about Clinton’s assertions in her August 8, 2015, declaration that she directed that all her emails on the clintonemail.com system in her custody “that were or potentially were federal records be provided to the Department of State” and that “on information and belief, this has been done.” Clinton’s deposition is necessary to inquire about the basis of these assertions in light of the FBI’s finding.

The State Department opposes the request.

Reasons for why the other two depositions are requested:

Judicial Watch seeks the testimony of Finney because, as chief FOIA officer for the Secretary’s office, he “had day-to-day responsibility for records management and research, including conducting and coordinating searches in response to FOIA requests, during Secretary Clinton’s and Ms. Abedin’s tenure.”

Judicial Watch seeks the deposition of Bentel for several reasons. When asked by his staff about Clinton’s use of a non-state.gov email account to conduct government business, “Mr. Bentel instructed them not to discuss the issue. As a result, obtaining Mr. Bentel’s testimony is essential to determine what he knew, when he knew it, and why he did not share the information with the appropriate State Department employees responsible for responding to FOIA requests.”

In another case, a previous request to depose Clinton was thwarted:

Judicial Watch has a separate request for Clinton’s testimony pending before U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth, who ruled on March 29 that “where there is evidence of government wrong-doing and bad faith, as here, limited discovery is appropriate, even though it is exceedingly rare in FOIA cases.”

Share
up
0 users have voted.

Comments

murphthesurf's picture

Q: does that mean "She who shall not be named " has to respond?

On another note, any clue about a hearing regarding her lying to Congress?
Peace -
Murph

up
0 users have voted.
Alligator Ed's picture

For any of you who have laboriously labored through my JW FOIA-related deposition summaries, note the many comments I made about exactly those three facts:
1. HRC has to testify under oath under Judge Sullivan's authorized investigation of document mishandling.
2. Clarence "I can't find the documents" Finney is mentioned in every single deposition except for silent Bryan Magliano's non-deposition deposition
3. The elusive John Bentel, lurking "tasker" of S/ES searches who was also mentioned in most depositions.

Drip-drip-drip: the present that keeps on giving. How is Medusa to continue campaigning when she shall spending so much time testifying? She might even be in court during her expected coronation, explaining her many lies.

up
0 users have voted.
MsGrin's picture

Thank you.

Am curious if you have any thoughts on whether the immunity given to Pagliano was worth it to the FBI given what they have so far. Maybe it gets more useful as time goes by...

My gut is that she gets out of this like she has just about everything else. But the hearing is ahead of the Republican convention, so timing is interesting.

I notice JW is work on gerrymandering cases - I presume it's on the wrong side, but they DID use the word, so hard to tell. I really don't want to peek too far behind the veil - there are so very many rabbit holes this season (on our side, at least) I don't want to risk falling in any...

up
0 users have voted.

'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

reflectionsv37's picture

in this whole episode. I've read everything I can find about him in regards to this mess and there isn't much to read. There are so many unusual things about the one person who actually setup and maintained illegitimate server. Somehow, even though Pagliano was employed by the State Department for nearly 4 years in the IT department, no one can find a single email ever sent or received by him. Doesn't that seem unusual?

There are so many unusual things about him that they are almost too numerous to list. It's unusual that the FBI gave him immunity so quickly.It's unusual that Pagliano took the 5th and refused to answer even a single question in the Judicial Watch hearings. It's unusual that the FBI gave him "limited" immunity rather than complete immunity. Why, it gives one the impression that they always had a back door way to go after him if he for some reason strayed from his agreement with the FBI. Makes one think he could have been ordered to never again discuss this topic. It's unusual that the FBI won't say a word about him even after their investigation into Hillary is complete. Comey made it quite apparent that he wasn't going to breath a word about Pagliano's testimony when he answered questions in from of the committee. It's unusual that with this investigation now completely wrapped up and tucked away, that we have absoultely no, no as in zero, zilch, nada, nothing, from the person who, without questions, knows more about that server setup than any other person on the planet.

So what do you make of all of that? I suspect a few possibilities.

First, perhaps Pagliano knows far more about the Clinton Foundation and the servers role in that investigation. Perhaps there is another server, another Clinton email address, perhaps the Clinton Foundations work was being conducted on the same server. I'm not sure, but all of that is possible.

Second, perhaps there is something he knows that would be so devastating to Hillary Clinton that the FBI and the Justice Department would have no choice but to pursue charges and the end result would be Hillary Clinton would serve years in Federal prison for those crimes. It's pretty obvious the FBI and the JD don't want to actually try Hillary for any crimes.

And lastly, maybe Bryan Pagliano knows some information that truly might be dangerous for National Security. He may know that he server was hacked, He might know who hacked it. He might know what information they have. It might well be information we have never heard a word about due to national security.

One thing for certain. Bryan Pagliano knows something that the FBI doesn't want him talking about and they appear to be going to great lengths to make sure he never does. I can't believe I'm about to write this but... Thankfully, none of this went unnoticed by the republicans in their hearing with Comey the other day. You can all but guarantee that the republicans will be looking down that rabbit hole trying to figure out what information is being hidden from them and the rest of the country. You can damn well guarantee that the Dems won't be doing a damn thing to get to the bottom of this.

And a final word to Bryan Pagliano. Keep your head down Bryan!!

up
0 users have voted.

“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we.”
George W. Bush

If they try her, they'll sully Obama's rep as a Nobel Peace Prize winner, tepid liberal, hands-across-the-aisle compromiser, health insurance giant, and stimie his future career as a motivational speaker for Wall Street, corporations, and writer of books with multi-million dollar advances. He won't let that happen. Did not the last few months, starting with Obama declaring in an interview "I can't conceive that Hillary Clinton ever did anything wrong" convince you of this reality?

up
0 users have voted.
MsGrin's picture

Quite excellent summation.

up
0 users have voted.

'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member

This is a speedier schedule than previously. Judge Sullivan can't not be aware of Comey's findings.

up
0 users have voted.
sojourns's picture

spiderweb cracking in glass. Her web is going to shatter. It would have been nice if Comey simply recommended-- but as this is panning out -- it is more and more tortuous for Grandmother Yuppie. All the stretch is gone from the elastics in her pants suits. She will soon need incontinence undergarments.

up
0 users have voted.

"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones."
John Cage