Hillary Clinton was voluntarily interviewed on Saturday by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), about a personal email server she used when she was secretary of state, said her spokesman Nick Merrill in a statement.
The presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Clinton met officers for more than three hours at the FBI’s headquarters in Washington D.C. Legal experts suggested the investigation may be coming to an end.
“She is pleased to have had the opportunity to assist the Department of Justice in bringing this review to a conclusion. Out of respect for the investigative process, she will not comment further on her interview,” Merrill was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.
The Democratic Party will formally nominate Hillary Clinton as the 2016 presidential candidate in the coming weeks. Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has criticized Clinton for using private servers.
Praying for the safety of the hostages in Bangladesh. To the terrorists: We will never succumb to fear and hate. -H
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 2, 2016
Top prosecutors said on Friday they would accept recommendations on Clinton’s case
The Justice Department may be planning to complete the investigation before the Republican and Democratic conventions take place by the end of July, said CNN. The Democratic party will have to nominate a different candidate if Clinton is charged.
Analysts said she is not likely to be indicted. The latest polls indicate that the former secretary of state could be the first female president of the United States, said The Associated Press.
Lynch: "I fully expect to accept" the DOJ and FBI recommendations on the Clinton email probe https://t.co/8I58ZMGkGD https://t.co/A1DeQqJ6cB
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) July 1, 2016
Federal officials had not encountered evidence to present charges against Clinton in May, reported CNN. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates will evaluate the investigation’s results submitted by the Justice Department and FBI.
Loretta Lynch said on Friday at the annual Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado that she would accept suggestions of prosecutors and federal agents involved in the case. The Attorney General met former President Bill Clinton earlier in the week.
The reunion between Lynch and Bill Clinton, which took place in a private airplane, caused controversy. Lynch said she “certainly would not do it again,” to maintain the image of fairness and impartiality shown by the Justice Department.
If this isn't a conflict of interest, then we don't know what is. pic.twitter.com/vSMsX0RKov
— GOP (@GOP) July 1, 2016
Trump said on Friday in Colorado that former President Bill Clinton “opened a Pandora’s Box,” as reported by The Associated Press. The Republican presidential candidate criticized the meeting between the two authorities, saying it “shows what’s happening with the laws and the government.”
Trump later tweeted an image quoting a Fox News’ poll, saying Hillary Clinton was “the most corrupt candidate ever.” Clinton admitted last year that using a private email server was a mistake. She also added that other secretaries of state had done the same.
The State Department’s inspector general has said that Clinton should have followed indications from the State Department. The institution explained that classified material could have been exposed to hackers.
Crooked Hillary — Makes History! #ImWithYou #AmericaFirst pic.twitter.com/PKQhYhMmIX
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2016
Source: The Associated Press