Report: FBI Expands Felony Probe in Clinton E-mail Scandal

[Martha Stewart Went To Jail For Much Less]

The polls may look great right now for Hillary Clinton, but a
deepening criminal investigation into her use of a private e-
mail system while she was secretary of state underscores how
fragile her lead really is.

On Thursday, Fox News reported that multiple intelligence
sources claim the FBI has broadened its probe into the former
secretary of state’s potentially negligent handling of
classified information. The nation’s top law-enforcement agency
is now also investigating whether Clinton or her surrogates made
“materially false” statements to federal officials regarding her
private e-mail system. Those statements, or any evidence that
Clinton pressured a third party as part of a cover-up, would
constitute felony violations of U.S. Code Title 18, Section
1001. Each violation carries a five-year prison sentence. Two
U.S. officials also told Fox News that the FBI has opened its
own review aimed at determining the classification level of
information retained on Clinton’s private server. For months,
intelligence analysts and State Department officials have been
locked in disagreements over whether several of the server’s e-
mails contain classified material, including “Top Secret”
information. The FBI’s decision would essentially cut the State
Department out of those discussions.

The revelation of an expanded FBI investigation comes on the
heels of a Tuesday Politico story, which alleges that the FBI’s
examination of Clinton’s retention of classified e-mails on an
unsecured server has evolved from a preliminary inquiry into a
“full-blown investigation.” The revelations illustrate the
Clinton campaign’s continued vulnerability despite its recent
polling surge. Ever since her top rival for the nomination,
Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, refused to press her on the e-
mail issue in last month’s Democratic debate, Clinton has seemed
eager to put the controversy to bed for good. But a McClatchy-
Marist poll released today shows that 68 percent of likely
voters believe Clinton’s use of a private server remains a major
campaign issue. 28 percent say she acted illegally, while an
additional 40 percent say her behavior was unethical — including
40 percent of Democrats. Just 27 percent think she did nothing
wrong.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/426970/hillary-clinton-
emails-fbi-investigation-widens