Declassified Yates Email Exposes Obama DOJ's Shutdown of Clinton Foundation Corruption Probe
Whistleblowers later testified in 2018 congressional hearings about political pressure under Yates to shutter the case, with Goodlatte highlighting her role in obstructing oversight.
FBI Director Kash Patel has unveiled a declassified 2016 email from Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates mandating the closure of a multi-office FBI investigation into potential corruption at the Clinton Foundation, labeling it a direct intervention to protect Hillary Clinton during her presidential campaign.
The investigation originated in 2015, triggered by Peter Schweizer's book "Clinton Cash," which alleged foreign donors secured State Department favors in exchange for foundation contributions while Clinton served as Secretary of State. FBI field offices in New York, Washington, D.C., Little Rock, and Los Angeles opened predicated probes into possible money laundering, bribery, and influence peddling, uncovering emails on Clinton's private server that suggested efforts to conceal these ties. Agents believed substantial evidence existed of pay-to-play schemes, including preferential treatment for donors like those involved in uranium deals or foreign aid allocations.
As the 2016 election heated up, obstacles mounted. FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, whose wife received campaign funds from Clinton allies, required personal approval for any actions, effectively stalling progress. Requests for grand jury support and subpoenas to four U.S. Attorneys' offices were denied by three, leaving agents isolated. Yates' email explicitly commanded, "Shut it down," halting the probes amid President Trump's campaign chants of "Lock her up" based on these very suspicions.
Whistleblowers later testified in 2018 congressional hearings about political pressure under Yates to shutter the case, with Goodlatte highlighting her role in obstructing oversight. The investigation dragged on without charges until August 2021, when Biden's DOJ issued a declination memo, closing it permanently and reportedly destroying evidence.
Patel, acting on whistleblower tips, located the Yates email and additional documents, planning to deliver them to Congress. Journalist John Solomon, who broke the story, stated, "This was a predicated criminal investigation that was examining whether Hillary Clinton ran a pay-to-play scheme that delivered favors from her perch as Secretary of State, while foreigners and others paid large sums of money to her family foundation." He added, "The Deputy Attorney General for Barack Obama, Sally Yates, explicitly told the FBI: Shut it down, meaning the corruption probes of Hillary Clinton."
Attorney General Pam Bondi has empaneled a grand jury to examine the evidence for possible charges, with cooperating prosecutors from the era stepping forward. This revelation underscores a broader pattern of DOJ favoritism toward Democrats, contrasting with aggressive pursuits against Republicans.
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