A new report from the State Department’s Inspector General provides proof behind allegations originally leveled last year that high-level aides close to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton interfered with investigations to cover up criminal misconduct.
In the most egregious case, when hearing allegations that a top Democratic donor and U.S. Ambassador was soliciting underage prostitutes, Clinton’s Chief of Staff, Cheryl Mills, along with Undersecretary of State Patrick Kennedy summoned him to Washington, heard his denials, and allowed him to return to post without any subsequent investigation. After they quashed the investigation, the State Department’s own legal office told the Inspector General they lacked the authority to do so.
When this tampering was originally reported, an unreleased draft Inspector General memo that was leaked to the press showed senior aides repeatedly intervening to quash investigation after investigation. The State Department at the time denied the allegations, going so far as to call them “preposterous.”
But the new report shows otherwise. In another example, investigators felt “intimidated” by managers who failed to act despite “overwhelming evidence” of wrongdoing. As the report states, Hillary Clinton’s top aides “created an appearance of undue influence and favoritism by Department management.” Read the full report here. This comes on the heels of another IG report that outlined massive mismanagement within the Clinton State Department.