Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting
The Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting was a private meeting held on June 27, 2016 between former President Bill Clinton and then attorney general Loretta E. Lynch on the tarmac of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport aboard Lynch's aircraft. During the 30 minute unscheduled meeting Clinton and Lynch discussed their families and golf. At the time, presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton's wife, was under investigation by the FBI for her use of a private server for State Department emails. The meeting took place hours prior to the Department of Justice findings on the use of a private email server and affected the way the investigation results were published. In December following Hillary Clinton's defeat to Donald Trump, Lynch said in an interview that "It did make people wonder is it going to affect the investigation that's going on, and that's not something that was an unreasonable question for anyone to ask."
Background
Lynch's arrival in Phoenix on June 27, 2016 was the second-to-last stop on her national tour to promote community policing. After she met with the city's police officers and top officials, she had a surprise visit from former President Bill Clinton who boarded her plane on the tarmac. He and Lynch spoke privately for about a half-hour. Lynch said "Our conversation was a great deal about grandchildren, it was primarily social about our travels and he mentioned golf he played in Phoenix."
Impact on the FBI
On May 3, 2017, then FBI Director James Comey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the FBI. During his testimony, Comey said that because of the meeting, he felt the best course of action was for the FBI to distance itself from the Department of Justice, and for the FBI to publicly announce the conclusion of their investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server.
Reactions
Reporters at the June 30, 2016 White House press conference pressed then White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest with questions about the meeting. Earnest commended Lynch for her direct answers to the questions she was asked about the meeting. When Earnest was further questioned about whether then President Obama approved of the meeting while an FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private server was ongoing, he responded by saying, "I wasn't there for the meeting" and reiterated then President Obama’s insistence that the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server should continue "without political interference." In response to the lawsuit, the DOJ provided 417 pages of heavily redacted documents which the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) received on or about August 2, 2017.
The emails reveal that staffers with the DOJ were advised that the ABC News affiliate in Phoenix was aware of the meeting between Clinton and Lynch. and various news outlets.<ref name=ACLJ-Timeline/>
Background
Lynch's arrival in Phoenix on June 27, 2016 was the second-to-last stop on her national tour to promote community policing. After she met with the city's police officers and top officials, she had a surprise visit from former President Bill Clinton who boarded her plane on the tarmac. He and Lynch spoke privately for about a half-hour. Lynch said "Our conversation was a great deal about grandchildren, it was primarily social about our travels and he mentioned golf he played in Phoenix."
Impact on the FBI
On May 3, 2017, then FBI Director James Comey testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing of the FBI. During his testimony, Comey said that because of the meeting, he felt the best course of action was for the FBI to distance itself from the Department of Justice, and for the FBI to publicly announce the conclusion of their investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server.
Reactions
Reporters at the June 30, 2016 White House press conference pressed then White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest with questions about the meeting. Earnest commended Lynch for her direct answers to the questions she was asked about the meeting. When Earnest was further questioned about whether then President Obama approved of the meeting while an FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private server was ongoing, he responded by saying, "I wasn't there for the meeting" and reiterated then President Obama’s insistence that the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of a private server should continue "without political interference." In response to the lawsuit, the DOJ provided 417 pages of heavily redacted documents which the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) received on or about August 2, 2017.
The emails reveal that staffers with the DOJ were advised that the ABC News affiliate in Phoenix was aware of the meeting between Clinton and Lynch. and various news outlets.<ref name=ACLJ-Timeline/>
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