Senators want Clinton aide who received immunity deal to talk

SENATORS WANT CLINTON AIDE WHO RECEIVED IMMUMITY DEAL TO TALK
 

 

CHUCK GRASSLEY

By Julian Hattem - 03/08/16 09:14 AM EST 

A pair of leading Republican senators are asking a former State Department official who reached an immunity deal with the Justice Department last week to answer their questions about Hillary Clinton’s private email server.

In a letter sent last week but released on Tuesday morning, Sens. Chuck GrassleyChuck GrassleyLynch dodges on role in Clinton probeSenate Judiciary to debate issue of Supreme Court nominationOvernight Cybersecurity: FBI ruffles feathers in cyber fightsMORE (R-Iowa) and Ron JohnsonRon JohnsonSenate Intel encryption bill could come next weekRepublicans want it both ways on agency independenceOvernight Cybersecurity: FBI ruffles feathers in cyber fightsMORE (R-Wis.) told the aide, Bryan Pagliano, that he should have no reason not to appear.

“Because the Department of Justice has granted you immunity from prosecution in this situation, there is no longer reasonable cause for you to believe that discussing these matters with the relevant oversight committees could result in your prosecution,” wrote Grassley and Johnson, who lead the Judiciary and Homeland Security committees, respectively.

Pagliano is believed to have been in charge of setting up Clinton’s email server at her New York home while she was secretary of State. He also worked on Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign.

Last year, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination to decline Grassley and Johnson's request to testify on Capitol Hill.

But last week, reports emerged that he had reached a deal with the Justice Department for immunity in exchange for giving information about the issue.

As such, he should reconsider his previous denial to come before Congress, the lawmakers wrote in their March 3 letter.

“The committees believe that you possess unique information about this matter that is otherwise unavailable and would appreciate your full cooperation with the committees’ requests, including providing a copy of the immunity agreement,” they wrote.

The FBI is currently investigating Clinton’s machine and examining whether she or her top aides were responsible for mishandling classified information.

Clinton, who has repeatedly shrugged off the federal investigation, said this weekend that she was “delighted” Pagliano had reached a deal with the Justice Department.

“I think that we'll be moving toward a resolution,” she said on CBS’s “Face the Nation."

In addition to the letter to Pagliano last week, Grassley and Johnson also wrote to Attorney General Loretta Lynch asking her to detail the immunity agreement.

http://thehill.com/policy/national-security/272171-senators-want-clinton-aide-to-talk-after-receiving-immunity-deal