Judicial Watch Files Seven New FOIA Lawsuits against State Department to Force Release of Clinton Emails, Other Secret Email Records

By Judicial Watch

MAY 06, 2015

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced that it has filed seven Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits against the State Department in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to obtain the release of documents about the Clinton email scandal, including emails of her top aide Huma Abedin and records about the Benghazi and Clinton Foundation scandals.  JW filed one of the lawsuits yesterday and six today.  Last week, Judicial Watch also filed a lawsuit for records on Hillary Clinton’s use of an iPad and iPhone.  The seven new FOIA lawsuits seek the following:

• Non-“state.gov” emails of former Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00684)).

Judicial Watch is seeking access to all emails of official State Department business received or sent by former Deputy Chief of Staff Huma Abedin from January 1, 2009, through February 1, 2013, using a non-“state.gov” email address.

• Hillary Clinton’s State Department emails (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00687)).

Judicial Watch is seeking all emails sent or received by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton in her official capacity as secretary of State, as well as all emails by other State Department employees to Secretary Clinton regarding her non-“state.gov” email address.

• Non-“state.gov” emails of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00689)).

Judicial Watch is seeking access to records concerning the use and expense of a non-“state.gov” email address and server domain by former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Such records include, but are not limited to, records concerning security, classification, preservation, and compliance with the Federal Records Act and/or the Freedom of Information Act.

• The names of all State Department employees using non-“state.gov” email addresses to conduct official business (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00690)).

Judicial Watch is seeking access to all records that identify the number and names of all current and former officials, officers, or employees of the U.S. Department of State from January 20, 2009, to the present who used email addresses other than their assigned “state.gov” email addresses to conduct official State Department business and the policies in place to ensure that emails were searched for responsiveness to FOIA requests.

• Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s communications during the attack on the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, during which U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and Foreign Service Officer Sean Smith were killed.  A second assault targeted a nearby compound, killing two government contractors Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty. (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00692)).

Judicial Watch is seeking all emails of former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton concerning the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, as well as all communications between State Department employees and members of Congress, congressional staff or the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

• State Department policies, procedures and review process enacted to ensure against conflicts of interest between foreign interests and the Clinton Foundation, during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as secretary of State (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00688)).

Judicial Watch is seeking records that identify the policies and/or procedures in place to ensure that former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s personal or charitable financial relationships with foreign leaders, foreign governments, and business entities posed no conflict of interest to her role as secretary of State; and all records related to the State Department’s review of donations to the Clinton Foundation for potential conflicts of interest with former Secretary Clinton’s role as secretary of State.

• Hillary Clinton’s resignation as secretary of State (Judicial Watch, Inc. v. U.S. Department of State (No. 1:15-cv-00691)).

Judicial Watch is seeking access to all records completed and/or signed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding her resignation from the office of secretary of State, as well as other State Department employees.  Such records include, but are not limited to a “separation statement” signed by Hillary Clinton upon her resignation as Secretary of State.

The State Department acknowledged receipt of the Freedom of Information requests but made no effort to respond with a document production, or a disclosure about its intent to withhold information, within the legally required 20 days. The lawsuits make clear that State has not met basic FOIA standards, failing to:

• Determine whether to comply with the request;
• Notify Plaintiff of any such determination or the reasons therefor;
• Advise Plaintiff of the right to appeal any adverse determination;
• Produce the requested records or otherwise demonstrate that the requested records are exempt from production.

Judicial Watch filed over FOIA 20 requests about the Clinton email scandal.   This is merely the latest round of planned lawsuits, as the State Department and other Obama administration agencies have failed to respond as required by law.
In addition to the eight new lawsuits, there are approximately 18 lawsuits, 10 of which are active in federal court, as well as about 160 Judicial Watch FOIA requests that could be affected by Mrs. Clinton and her staff’s use of secret email accounts to conduct official government business.   In Judicial Watch’s various FOIA lawsuits, lawyers for Judicial Watch have informed attorneys for the Obama administration that Hillary Clinton’s and any other secret accounts used by State employees should be secured, recovered, and searched.  Judicial Watch’s litigation against the State Department has already exposed key documents about both the Benghazi and Clinton cash scandals.
“This historic legal effort shows Judicial Watch is the only game in town when it comes to stopping and exposing government corruption,” stated Tom Fitton, Judicial Watch president.  “Congress, a compromised Justice Department, and a pliant liberal media won’t do the work of taking on Clinton and Obama corruption– and Judicial Watch is happy to continue its leadership role in exposing what the government is up to.  There is a rule-of-law and transparency crisis in Washington.  But our new FOIA lawsuits show that Mrs. Clinton and her co-conspirators in the Obama administration will be held accountable for the violations of transparency law, criminal destruction and mishandling of government records, their Benghazi lies, and the Clintons’ abuse of office for personal and political dollars."