Based on information learned during discovery, the deposition of Mrs. Clinton may be necessary.
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A federal judge issued an order Wednesday that could lead to Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton providing testimony regarding her use of an unsecured email system while she served as secretary of state.
There have been at least three dozen civil lawsuits filed, including one by The Associated Press, over public records requests related to Clinton’s time as secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.
The group’s Freedom of Information Aact case was re-opened previous year after it was discovered that Clinton used a personal email account and private server during her time in office.
Federal District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan made the observation about the arrangement that allowed Abedin to do outside work while she was working for Clinton at the State Department.
It was Judicial Watch’s law suit against the State Department that helped unearth the emails of Clinton aides.
Sullivan’s 15-page written opinion and order came after lawyers for the government agreed to a narrowed scope of questions requested by Judicial Watch.
“This was a scheme created to thwart transparency, and it’s come undone”, Judicial Watch President Thomas J. Fitton said in an interview after the judge’s order.
Sullivan authorized Judicial Watch to seek answers about the creation and operation of Clinton’s email system for official State Department business, and the department’s handling of Freedom of Information Act requests that could involve Clinton’s and Abedin’s emails. Pagliano reportedly agreed to work with the Justice Department in its criminal investigation into the private email server and invoked the Fifth Amendment when questioned by Congress previous year. Twenty-two messages withheld from public release are “top secret”, the highest classification level. The group sued the State Department for relevant documents and, during thee court proceedings, Clinton’s email – and the question of whether or not she deliberately sought to hide information normally subject to FOIA – has been a central topic of discussion. A campaign spokesman did not respond Wednesday to messages about whether Clinton would oppose any order to testify. Sullivan established an eight-week time frame.
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Judicial Watch can also quiz several career State Department officials, including under secretary of management Patrick Kennedy, Stephen Mull, the former executive secretary of the State Department, and Lewis Lukens, the former executive director of the executive secretariat.
