Phoenix, Arizona – U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch met privately with former President Bill Clinton, hours before the release of the Benghazi report, and while Hillary Clinton is under federal investigation.
The meeting took place in a private plane parked at the Sky Harbor International Airport and was said to last about a half-hour by ABC15. According to CBS News, the meeting was not previously planned. President Clinton spent some time in Phoenix and was about to leave. Lynch was visiting Phoenix as part of her community policing promoting tour. Realizing the attorney was near, Clinton decided to meet as an act of courtesy, a source told ABC15.
The encounter occurred on Monday, while Hillary Clinton keeps being investigated for the use of private email services to handle classified information. Lynch’s Justice Department is conducting the investigation. Additionally, the meeting happened hours before the Benghazi report was scheduled to be released. The report focuses on a sharp critic of the Obama’s administration during the 2012 Benghazi attacks, while Clinton was Secretary of the State.
Lynch stated that the meeting did not involve government issues
ABC15 TV station asked Lynch about the meeting during her press conference at the Phoenix Police Department. The attorney confirmed the meeting between President Clinton, she and her husband did happen.
She also said that they did not talk about the ongoing investigation, the Benghazi report or any other State related business. Instead, she said the conversation revolved around Clinton’s grandchildren, golf and Brexit.
“Our conversation was a great deal about grandchildren, it was primarily social about our travels, and he mentioned golf he played in Phoenix, and he mentioned travels he’d had in West Virginia.” the Attorney stated.
She was also asked about how inconvenient a meeting like this could seem while such controversial investigation is still ongoing. She limited herself to answer that “the case is being handled by career investigators and careers agents.” She added that her agency will always stay independent and guided by the law.
LEGALLY INAPPROPRIATE…
Loretta Lynch and Bill Clinton
Meet Privately in Phoenix…
on a Private Plane.
https://t.co/EKshadB5mh— George (@TexGEOas) June 29, 2016
The Benghazi panel’s 800-page report was released Tuesday morning, two years and $7 million later, and Hillary Clinton claimed that “had found nothing” about the accusations on her and that it’s time to “move on,” as quoted by Fox News. The document heavily critiqued the actions of President Obama, CIA, and Hillary Clinton -as part of his administration- during the attacks that left four Americans killed, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens and two former Navy SEALs.
About the investigation on the private email service, FBI agents said they are almost at the end, according to Daily Caller.
Source: CBS News