Sessions weighs second special counsel to probe Clinton-related matters

by John Solomon - 11/13/17 9:07 PM ET

Attorney General Jeff Sessions is considering naming a special counsel to lead an investigation into a list of matters involving former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, according to a Monday letter the Justice Department sent to the House Judiciary Committee.

President Trump’s top prosecutor is interested in further probing a wide range of topics, including the Obama-era sale of Uranium One that gave a Russian state-owned company partial control of U.S. atomic energy resources.

Officials told The Hill that the Justice Department is also currently investigating several issues related to Clinton Foundation donations, the unmasking of American identities by the intelligence community and former FBI Director James Comey’s handling of the investigation into Clinton’s private email server, all of which could lead to the appointment of a second special prosecutor if the facts warrant.

{mosads}

The letter comes in response to the repeated appeal of Rep. Robert Goodlatte (R-Va.), chairman of the Judiciary panel, who called on Sessions twice this year to appoint a second special counsel who could independently investigate these concerns.

Goodlatte had particularly taken aim at Comey after revelations surfaced earlier this year that he had drafted a statement ending the agency’s investigation into Clinton’s email server before more than a dozen key witnesses, including Clinton herself, had been interviewed about the issue.

Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd responded to Goodlatte, saying that Sessions had “directed senior federal prosecutors to evaluate certain issues raised in your letters,” according to the letter.

Boyd added that they will “report directly to the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General, as appropriate, and will make recommendations as to whether any matters not currently under investigation should be opened, whether any matters currently under investigation require further resources, or whether any matters merit the appointment of a Special Counsel.”

In the letter, Boyd repeatedly underscored that if they do open such probes, it will be for “non-political” reasons.

“As noted during our prior meeting in response to your letters, the Department of Justice takes seriously its responsibility to provide timely and accurate information to Congress on issues of public interest and seeks to do so in a non-political manner that is consistent with the Department’s litigation, law enforcement, and national security responsibilities,” Boyd wrote, adding that “this letter should not be construed” as a confirmation or denial of any such investigations as remains the department’s long-practiced policy.

“In addition, you must know the Department will never evaluate any matter except the facts and the law.”

Sources said more work will need to be done to determine whether there is legal grounds to name a second special counsel for any of the issues, and Sessions is unlikely to say much more during his Tuesday appearance before the House Judiciary Committee beyond what he put in the Goodlatte letter.

The letter also was meant to signal that Sessions has not recused himself from issues outside the Russia election tampering probe now under special counsel Robert Mueller’s jurisdiction, such as the 2010 approval of the sale of Uranium One or the Clinton email case, the officials added.

Trump, who has dismissed the current special counsel investigation into Russia’s 2016 election meddling as a “witch hunt,” has publicly blasted Sessions for failing to aggressively pursue investigations that relate to his former 2016 campaign opponent.

Earlier this month, Trump told reporters that the Justice Department “should be looking at the Democrats.”

Democrats will likely blast Sessions for caving to Trump’s demands if he follows through with the probe.

Late last month, the House Judiciary and the House Oversight and Government Reform committees announced that they will jointly look into the FBI’s probe into Clinton’s private server and her handling of classified documents.

Meanwhile, the House Intelligence Committee will probe the sale of a Canada-based company with control over some U.S. uranium to a Russian firm when Clinton was secretary of State, after The Hill reported that the FBI was investigating a bribery scheme at the time of the deal.

According to government documents and interviews, the FBI had substantial evidence that Russian nuclear officials were engaging in kickbacks, extortion and money laundering with the intention of trying to grow their atomic energy interests at the time of the 2010 sale, which was was approved by multiple U.S. agencies, including the Clinton-led State Department.

Sources told The Hill there was also documented evidence of Russian officials routing millions of dollars into the Clinton Foundation at the time.

Tags Hillary Clinton Jeff Sessions