OH, MY: More Hillary Emails That Were Hidden From State Department Probe Uncovered

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Judicial Watch today released new State Department emails (one batch of 103 pages, the second of 138 pages) that again appear to contradict statements by former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that, “as far as she knew,” all of her government emails were turned over to the State Department and that she did not use her clintonemail.com system until March 18, 2009.

Judicial Watch recently released Clinton State Department emails dating from February 2009 that also call into question her statements about her emails.

The documents were obtained by Judicial Watch in response a court order in a May 5,2015, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit filed against the State Department, after it failed to respond to a March 18 FOIA request (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00684)). The lawsuit seeks:

Emails of official State Department business received or sent by former Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin from January 1, 2009 through February 1, 2013 using a non-“state.gov” email address.

Many of the documents predate March 18, 2009, go back as far as January, and were not turned over by Clinton to the State Department from her non-government server. The emails cover topics such as: her schedule and travel plans; criticisms of Clinton by Richard Gere; Afghanistan; U.S. financial aid and security concerns for several Pacific Islands; the recommendation for a health care system overhaul; and food security.

Other previously unreleased emails are dated March 18, 2009, despite suggestions by Clinton that she had turned over emails with that date. These emails refer to, among other things, her “friends at Planned Parenthood” and a call to Bill Clinton’s former National Security Adviser, the late Sandy Berger, who was convicted of illegally removing classified documents from the National Archives.

On October 16, 2011, Clinton sent a “confidential” backgrounder from former Ambassador to Malta Doug Kmiec (sent from his apparently unsecure server) to aides Abedin and Cheryl Mills. The email has since been redacted due to its classified nature. Specifically, Kmiec discusses sensitive persons and organizations working in the US Embassy in Malta – the U.S. Maritime training program with the “AFM” (Armed Forces of Malta).

The Abedin emails included an exchange with Clinton’s former Deputy Chief of Staff Jacob Sullivan, in which Abedin suggests Clinton would often complain of being “exhausted”:

From: Abedin, Huma

To: Sullivan, Jacob J.

Sent: Thursday, April 16 18:54:22 2009

Subject:

I have to go to the dinner with her [state dinner in Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic]

I just got the I’m exhausted thing from her and Eugene [likely Eugene Bae, Clinton’s advance official] isn’t going to be able to tell Oscar de la Renta to shut up.

A March 31, 2011, email from State Department official Michael Hammer to Abedin and others shows yet another non-State.gov email address of HumaMAbedin[Redacted], which differs from the known [email protected] and [email protected].

“These emails further undermine Hillary Clinton’s statement, under penalty of perjury, suggesting she turned over all of her government emails to the State Department,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “How many more Hillary Clinton emails is the Obama State Department hiding?”

Hillary Clinton has repeatedly stated that the 55,000 pages of documents she turned over to the State Department in December 2014 included all of her work-related emails. In response to a court order in other Judicial Watch litigation, she declared under penalty of perjury that she had “directed that all my emails on clintonemail.com in my custody that were or are potentially federal records be provided to the Department of State, and on information and belief, this has been done.” This new email find is also at odds with her official campaign statement:

On December 5, 2014, 30,490 copies of work or potentially work-related emails sent and received by Clinton from March 18, 2009, to February 1, 2013, were provided to the State Department. This totaled roughly 55,000 pages. More than 90% of her work or potentially work-related emails provided to the Department were already in the State Department’s record-keeping system because those e-mails were sent to or received by “state.gov” accounts.

Early in her term, Clinton continued using an att.blackberry.net account that she had used during her Senate service. Given her practice from the beginning of emailing State Department officials on their state.gov accounts, her work-related emails during these initial weeks would have been captured and preserved in the State Department’s record-keeping system. She, however, no longer had access to these emails once she transitioned from this account.

The Associated Press previously reported that the State Department received from the Department of Defense emails between Clinton and General David Petraeus that also predate March 2009. Those emails have not been released to the public.

On August 10, 2015, Judicial Watch announced that the State Department submitted to the court a sworn declaration from Clinton regarding federal records on her controversial email system. The declaration states:

I, Hillary Rodham Clinton, declare under penalty of perjury that the following is true and correct:

1. While I do not know what information may be “responsive” for purposes of this law suit, I have directed that all my e-mails on clintonemail.com in my custody that were or potentially were federal records to be provided to the Department of State, and on information and belief, this has been done.

2. As a result of my directive, approximately 55,000 pages of these emails were produced to the Department on December 5, 2014.

3. Cheryl Mills did not have an account on clintonemail.com. Huma Abedin did have such an account which was used at times for government business.

The document is signed by “Hillary Rodham Clinton.” The State Department was ordered by US District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan on July 31 to request that Clinton and her top aides confirm, under penalty of perjury, that they have produced all government records in their possession and to return any other government records immediately. (For more from the author of “OH, MY: More Hillary Emails That Were Hidden From State Department Probe Uncovered” please click HERE)

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Logan Officials Message to Clinton Campaign

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After the Clinton campaign staff attempted to use the City of Logan Fire Department facilities for the Clinton upcoming visitations to the area, fire department officials contacted the Mayor of Logan about the situation. Logan officials then took matters into their own hands and sent an e-mail sent to Mike Browning, a representative for Senator Joe Manchin.

The e-mail states the following:

Mike,

While we appreciate all that you and Senator Manchin’s office have done for the City Of Logan over the years we must make the following statement:

Bill and Hillary Clinton are simply not welcome in our town. Mrs. Clinton’s anti-coal messages are the last thing our suffering town needs at this point. The policies that have been championed by people like Mrs. Clinton have all but devastated our fair town, and honestly, enough is enough. We wish them the best in their campaign, however we again state they are not welcome on our city properties. We hope that you will respectfully consider NOT visiting our community. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions, 304-xxx-xxxx. I am writing this on behalf of the City Of Logan.

(Read more from “Logan Officials Message to Clinton Campaign” HERE)

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An Army Captain Is Suing Obama for This Major Reason

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Bush-era war authorizations do not give President Obama authority to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS), an Army officer argued in a lawsuit filed Wednesday against Obama.

The lawsuit was filed in U.S. district court by an intelligence officer stationed in Kuwait who says he supports the fight against ISIS but believes it is being carried out illegally because Congress hasn’t specifically authorized it.

“How could I honor my oath when I am fighting a war, even a good war, that the Constitution does not allow, or Congress has not approved?” Capt. Nathan Michael Smith wrote. “To honor my oath, I am asking the court to tell the president that he must get proper authority from Congress, under the War Powers Resolution, to wage the war against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.”

Obama has sought an authorization for use of military force (AUMF) from Congress. But Congress has been hesitant to take it up, with Republicans worried it would be too restrictive and some Democrats worried it wouldn’t be restrictive enough.

In the absence of a new AUMF, Obama has said he has the authority to fight ISIS from the 2001 authorization to fight al Qaeda, from which ISIS originated. (Read more from “An Army Captain Is Suing Obama for This Major Reason” HERE)

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Republican ‘Unity’ Meeting Scheduled for Next Week

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After a day of tensions between two of the nation’s highest-profile Republicans, House Speaker Paul Ryan’s office announced Friday that Ryan will meet with presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on Thursday . . .

“Having both said we need to unify the party, Speaker Ryan has invited Donald Trump to meet with members of the House Republican leadership in Washington on Thursday morning to begin a discussion about the kind of Republican principles and ideas that can win the support of the American people this November,” Ryan’s office said in a statement.

Trump, Ryan and Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus will also hold a separate meeting.

During the Republican presidential primaries, Ryan voiced displeasure with some of Trump’s proposals on immigration, in particular his proposal for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States.

On Thursday, Ryan said he was “not ready” to support Trump’s campaign for president, and suggested that Trump needs to take the first steps to show he will unify the party. Later that day, Trump fired back a response saying he would not support Ryan’s agenda and suggesting that politicians should do what is best for the American people . . .

Trump said Friday that Ryan’s refusal to support him was “not a good thing” and “something the party should get solved quickly.” (Read more from “Republican ‘Unity’ Meeting Scheduled for Next Week” HERE)

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Ryan Shows Trump There’s a Cost to How Trump Does Business

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Donald Trump once warned Speaker of the House Paul Ryan he would pay a “big price” if Ryan didn’t get along with him. Look who is paying now.

Yesterday Ryan, in publicly saying he will not at this point endorse the presumptive nominee called Trump’s bluff. When asked by CNN’s Jake Tapper if he would support Trump, Ryan said “Well, to be perfectly candid with you, Jake, I’m just not ready to do that at this point. I’m not there right now.”

And, with that, maybe Trump is forced to finally start realizing the consequences of how he conducted his campaign, rotten in both personality and policy. There’s a steep cost to the way Trump’s campaign has done its business and he, not Ryan, is going to pay.

Others in GOP leadership should follow Ryan’s lead. They have “leverage “as Trump would say. Get on record now, stating your opposition to Trump and make a demand for him to change. If he doesn’t improve, which he won’t, you are free to run as far away from the Trump train wreck as your legs can carry you.

People’s reactions to the prospect of a President Trump separates the wheat from the chaff.

And, the chaff is easy to see. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell endorsed Trump, robotically murmuring that Republicans must support Republicans to win and stop Democrats from winning the White House.

This time, however, Trump is scarier than Hillary Clinton to many. This is a man who gets his news from the National Enquirer for goodness sakes, who came on to the political scene during the Obama Administration by peddling birtherism on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

Had any other candidate, any one of them, won the nomination, this would be the best news cycle of their campaign. People would probably disagree on various policies but Republicans could come together and agree the candidate was a man of integrity and character.

But not Trump.

This should be Trump’s honeymoon period, but good men and women should prepare for divorce. (For more from the author of “Ryan Shows Trump There’s a Cost to How Trump Does Business” please click HERE)

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Lobbyists Struggle With Trump Reality

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Republican lobbyists in Washington are struggling to come to grips with the possibility of a Donald Trump presidency.

“A lot of people woke up [on Wednesday] and went, ‘Oh, gosh, this is not a dream,’ ” said Jeff MacKinnon, a principal at Farragut Partners. “I don’t think downtown was really prepared for it happening so quickly. It did catch people off guard” . . .

Much of the downtown Republican crowd — lobbyists, consultants and PR operatives — built their careers working for establishment politicians like former Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), and President George W. Bush . . .

Once Trump all but clinched the nomination this week, the topic of conversation among lobbyists quickly turned to the question of how Trump is going to finance a billion-dollar campaign.

Washington’s lobbying industry traditionally serves as an important resource for presidential candidates’ cash supply; supportive lobbyists often stay in close contact with campaign committees, participate in conference calls and recruit supporters. (Read more from “Lobbyists Struggle With Trump Reality” HERE)

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Many Americans Renounce Citizenship, Even Before President Trump

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It seems crazy to call it the ‘New Normal’, but once again, record numbers of Americans are renouncing citizenship. Every three months, the Treasury Department publicly names individuals who renounced. It is surely more about FATCA, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act enacted in 2010, than it is about politics. Still, numbers are flying, with one poll saying that 1 in 4 Americans would consider leaving if Trump is elected. Others claim they will leave if Hillary is elected.

In reality, of course, most who bristle about politics are not serious. And for those who are, they surely mean a temporary move, not a final exit. In contrast, giving up citizenship is a big deal. Yet the number of published expatriates for the first three months of 2016 was a record 1,158. In 2015, there were approximately 4,300 expatriations. Comparing present to past suggests that Americans renouncing citizenship have risen 560% from their Bush administration high. There are now 18 times as many renouncers as in 2008.

Of course, these numbers seem tiny compared to the influx of immigrants. Yet expatriations have historically been much lower, making the uptick worrisome. Moreover, the published list is incomplete, with many not counted. Surprisingly, no one seems to know exactly how big the real number is, even though the IRS and FBI both track Americans who renounce. There is no single explanation, though some renounce because of global tax reporting and FATCA. One law adding to the mix is the IRS power to revoke passports.

The reasons for renouncing can be family, tax and legal complications. Dual citizenship isn’t always possible, as this infographic from MoveHub shows. And leaving can be expensive. Some countries have no fee, but America charges $2,350 to hand in your passport. That is more than twenty times the average of other high-income countries. The U.S. government has collected about $12.6 million in fees since the fall of 2014, after hiking its fee to renounce citizenship by 422%. Some renouncers write why they gave up their U.S. citizenship. (Read more from “Many Americans Renounce Citizenship, Even Before President Trump” HERE)

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BUMMER: Hillary to Face FBI Interrogators Within Weeks

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As we reported yesterday, just when Hillary thought the email scandal was behind her, and she could shift her focus to the newly minted GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, an order by Judge Emmet Sullivan of the U.S. District Court decided to lay out ground rules for interviewing multiple State Department officials, and ordered at least six current and former State Department employees to answer questions, all in an effort to finish the depositions in the weeks before the party nominating conventions.

On the heels of interviewing Hillary Clinton’s top personal aide Huma Abedin, as we detailed previously, it appears The FBI is finally ready to go after the Emailer-in-chief herself…

Source confirms to @CBSNews Hillary Clinton to be interviewed by the FBI within the coming weeks in the e-mail server investigation.

— Charlie Kaye (@CharlieKayeCBS) May 6, 2016

As CBS reports, a source has confirmed that Hillary Clinton will be interviewed by the FBI within the coming weeks, in connection with the investigation into her private email server. As reported last night, Hillary’s top aide, Huma Abedin was interviewed by the FBI at its Washington field office in April.

The FBI and Justice Department have been investigating whether sensitive information that flowed through Clinton’s email server was mishandled. Abedin was interviewed at the FBI’s Washington field office last month. The FBI’s investigation into Clinton’s email server was first reported in August.

The Clinton campaign has said it’s confident that the FBI’s review “will conclude that nothing inappropriate took place.” There’s no timetable for completing the investigation, and there have been no statements about how much longer the investigation will take.

As we reported on Wednesday, a federal judge in Washington said he may order Clinton to testify under oath about whether she used a private email server to evade public records disclosures.

The order from U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan granted a request from the conservative legal advocacy group Judicial Watch to question six current and former State Department staffers, including Abedin, about the creation and purpose of the email system.

Clinton has dismissed the idea that she could face legal trouble over the use of the server, responding to a debate question in March about the prospect of a federal indictment by saying, “It’s not going to happen.”

Perhaps she intends on pleading da’fif’ before the FBI? (For more from the author of “BUMMER: Hillary to Face FBI Interrogators Within Weeks” please click HERE)

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Bathrooms Are Just the Beginning: A Scary Look Into the Trans Movement’s End Goals

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The battle over men accessing women’s bathrooms and vice versa has little do with bathrooms or even transgenderism, a well-known LGBT activist admitted last week. It has everything to do with re-working society and getting rid of the “heterobinary structure” in which we live—eliminating distinctions between “male” and “female” altogether.

Riki Wilchins, who has undergone “sex change” surgery and is a far-left social change activist, wrote in the gay publication The Advocate last week that social conservatives and many LGBT activists are missing the point when it comes to the transgender bathroom debate . . .

People should be able to enter whatever bathroom “fits their gender identity,” Wilchins wrote, but the fact that we even have “male” and “female” bathrooms reflects something about society that needs to change . . .

Transgenderism presumes that a man can be “trapped” inside a woman’s body and a woman can be “trapped” inside a man’s body. It encourages men “becoming” women to embrace femininity and wear dresses and make-up. Similarly, transgenderism encourages women “becoming” men to make themselves more masculine through hormones and by altering their appearances, reinforcing the notion that men look and act a certain way.

“The long-term goals of many LGBT activists are actually not just access to the restrooms of their preferred gender identity, but actually destroying the concept of gender or the separation of the genders altogether,” Peter Sprigg, Senior Fellow for Policy Studies at the Family Research Council, told LifeSiteNews. Sprigg noted that when LGBT activists are appealing to a mainstream audience, they “are accepting or implicitly accepting the separation of male and female facilities” like bathrooms. (Read more from “Bathrooms Are Just the Beginning: A Scary Look Into the Trans Movement’s End Goals” HERE)

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Internationalist Koch Bros., Bush’s Apparently Think Hillary Is Better Than Trump

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By Newsmax. In a political jaw-dropper that would have been inconceivable just six months ago, billionaire industrialists and conservative GOP donors Charles and David Koch are weighing supporting Hillary Clinton in her battle with Donald Trump for the White House.

Politico reports that representatives of Koch brothers warn that they “could sit out the presidential campaign entirely — or even back Hillary Clinton.”

The Koch brothers’ discontent with Trump’s aggressive campaign style first emerged last month when Charles Koch told ABC News it was “possible” Clinton, the Democratic presidential front-runner, would make a better president than Trump.

On Wednesday, Politico says, the Kochs would not rule out supporting the former secretary of state. (Read more from “Internationalist Koch Bros., Bush’s Apparently Think Hillary Is Better Than Trump” HERE)

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George W. Bush Sitting out Election With H.W., No Plans to Endorse Trump

By Clyde Hughes. George W. Bush and his father, George H. W. Bush, will be sitting out the presidential election and have no plans to endorse Donald Trump, a spokesman said on Wednesday.

The Washington Post reported that it is the first time in five presidential election cycles that Bush 41 is not endorsing the Republican nominee.

A spokesman for his son, Bush 43, made a statement Wednesday evening after Ohio Gov. John Kasich followed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz to the exit, noted The Guardian.

“President George W. Bush does not plan to participate in or comment on the presidential campaign,” said the spokesman for the two-term president before President Barack Obama. (Read more from “George W. Bush Sitting out Election With H.W., No Plans to Endorse Trump” HERE)

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