Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting
On June 27, 2016, a private meeting was held between former President Bill Clinton and then attorney general Loretta E. Lynch on the tarmac of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport aboard Lynch's aircraft. The meeting took place hours prior to "the Obama Department of Justice decision on whether then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton had revealed classified information when using a private email account".[1][2]In response to the meeting, Lynch said "Our conversation was a great deal about grandchildren, it was primarily social about our travels and he mentioned golf he played in Phoenix."[3] In December following Hillary Clinton's defeat to Donald Trump, Lynch said in an interview about the meeting that "It did make people wonder is it going to affect the investigation that's going on, and that's not something that was an unreasonable question for anyone to ask."[4]
Background[edit]
Lynch's arrival in Phoenix on June 27, 2016 was the second-to-last stop on her national tour to promote community policing. After she met with the city's police officers and top officials, she had a surprise visit from former President Bill Clinton who boarded her plane on the tarmac. He and Lynch spoke privately for about a half-hour.[5] A law enforcement official reported that "the former president saw Lynch's plane on the tarmac and walked onto her aircraft." The security detail for Lynch allowed Clinton to board Lynch's plane.[5] At the time, presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was under investigation by the FBI for her indiscriminate use of a private server.[6]
Obama White House Involvement[edit]
Reporters at the June 30, 2016 White House press conference pressed then White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest with questions about the meeting between former President Clinton and attorney general Lynch on the tarmac. Earnest commended Lynch for her direct answers to the questions she was asked about the meeting. When Ernest was further questioned about whether then President Obama approved of the meeting while an FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private server was ongoing, he avoided a direct answer by saying, "I wasn't there for the meeting"[7] and reiterated then President Obama’s insistence that the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server should continue "without political interference."[7]
James Comey's decision to go public[edit]
On May 3, 2017, then FBI Director James Comey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the FBI. During his testimony, Comey said that "Lynch's meeting in his view tarnished her credibility on the issue", which forced the FBI to distance itself from the Department of Justice, and announce the conclusion of their investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server.[8] He added "And then the capper was – and I'm not picking on the attorney general, Loretta Lynch, who I like very much – but her meeting with President Clinton on that airplane was the capper for me."[8]
Reactions to the meeting[edit]
On June 30, 2016, some of the initial reactions after learning about the meeting included presumptive presidential candidate Donald Trump who called the meeting "shocking and very disappointing".[5] Senator John Cornyn (TX-R) suggested the Clinton email investigation should be taken over by Special Councel in an effort to "instill confidence in the American people that her department can fully and fairly conduct this investigation."[5] Senator Chris Coons (DE-D) believed "Lynch will remain objective in her role but would have advised against the meeting".[5]
References[edit]
- ↑ Sign, Christopher (August 9, 2017). "Loretta Lynch Prepped With Talking Points About Phoenix Tarmac Meeting". ABC15 Arizona. Scripts TV Station Group.
- ↑ Sanger, David E. (July 6, 2016). "Hillary Clinton's Email Was Probably Hacked, Experts Say". The New York Times. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ↑ Sign, Christopher (July 4, 2016). "US Attorney General Loretta Lynch, Bill Clinton Meet Privately In Phoenix Before Benghazi Report". ABC15 Arizona. Scripts TV Station Group. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ↑ Scott, Eugene (December 18, 2016). "Lynch Says Reaction To Bill Clinton Meeting Was 'Painful'". Cable News Network. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Watkins, Eli (June 30, 2016). "Bill Clinton Meeting Causes Headaches For Hillary". Cable News Network. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ↑ Zapotosky, Matt (June 30, 2016). "Attorney General Meets With Former President Clinton Amid Politically Charged Investigation Into His Wife's Email". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Wheaton, Sarah (June 30, 2016). "Lynch-Clinton 'tarmac summit': Another White House headache". Politico. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Neuhauser, Alan (May 3, 2017). "Comey: Lynch's Private Airplane Meeting With Clinton Spurred Email Disclosure". US News & World Report. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
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