Exposed: FBI Ignored Key Evidence in Hillary Clinton Email Probe, Says DOJ Watchdog
A report from the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has exposed major flaws in the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email server during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The recently released findings now challenge longstanding assertions that Clinton was fully exonerated in the matter.
At the center of the controversy are around 30,000 emails missing from Clinton’s State Department account—a key point of attack from President Donald Trump during the heated 2016 race.
Trump repeatedly alleged that Clinton purposely deleted the emails to cover up misconduct and avoid accountability.
However, FBI agents recovered thumb drives that potentially contained information relevant to the investigation, according to the OIG report, which was made public Monday.
FBI leadership at the time—including then-Director James Comey, former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, and ex-Special Agent Peter Strzok—failed to conduct thorough, targeted searches of those devices.
“The Clinton investigation failed to hit the mark,” he said, expressing gratitude that “the American people can now see the facts for themselves.”
“After nearly a decade in the shadows, this information is now coming to light thanks to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel’s dedicated efforts to fulfill my congressional request.”
The annex to the report reveals that the FBI never opened or examined the thumb drives, despite internal memos urging immediate review to assess potential compromise from foreign influence.
The OIG concluded that this omission was a significant failure, undermining the thoroughness expected of a probe with such high stakes.
The report also uncovered communications between then-Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and representatives of the Soros Open Society Foundations.
These conversations suggest efforts by Clinton’s campaign to undermine the email investigation and shield her candidacy from damaging revelations.
Grassley’s office summarized, “Comey, McCabe, and Strzok, among others, did not make serious investigative efforts to verify the intelligence reports.”
In July 2016, Comey cleared Clinton before she was fully interviewed, providing the former Secretary of State a political lifeline amid a turbulent and closely contested campaign.
That same month, Comey also authorized “Crossfire Hurricane,” a joint FBI-CIA probe into allegations of collusion between Trump’s campaign and Russian operatives.
Comey is now in the firing line for potentially pursuing the Russia investigation despite intelligence indicating minimal Russian interference and no clear ties to Trump’s team.
Grassley urged continued transparency and a comprehensive review, while praising the ongoing commitment from Bondi and Patel and calling for continued diligence in the investigation.
The report has reignited debate over the FBI’s handling of politically sensitive investigations.
It also raises broader questions about accountability within federal agencies and the increasingly blurred lines between politics and law enforcement.
The 2016 election continues to be a topic of significant public interest, reflecting deep divisions in public opinion around justice, transparency, and institutional trust.
READ: Former Clinton Aide Drops Explosive Bombshell on Hillary: “Corrupt Beyond Words”