RNC Files Lawsuits For Hillary Clinton's State Department Records

RNC Files Lawsuits For Hillary Clinton’s State Department Records  WASHINGTON – The Republican National Committee (RNC) today filed two lawsuits in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to compel the State Department to produce records related to Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State.  The records were previously requested from the State Department under FOIA in October and December of last year. No documents or information have been provided.   “The Obama Administration has failed to comply with records requests in a timely manner as required by law,” said Chairman Reince Priebus. “For too long the State Department has undermined the public and the media’s legitimate right to records under the Freedom of Information Act, and it’s time it complies with the law. If this administration claims to be the ‘most transparent in history,’ and Clinton the ‘most transparent person in public life,’ then they should prove it, release these records, and allow the American people to hold her accountable.” BACKGROUND The first lawsuit seeks electronic communications sent to and from then-Secretary Clinton via text or BlackBerry Messenger, as well as emails sent to and from several key senior aides: former Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills, former Director of Policy Planning Jake Sullivan, Undersecretary for Management Patrick Kennedy, and former IT Staffer Bryan Pagliano, whom The Washington Post reported last week was granted immunity for his cooperation with the FBI’s investigation into Clinton’s server. This lawsuit focuses on those communications sent and received during Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State. The second lawsuit seeks communications between senior officials at the State Department and the Clinton campaign and other allied entities. This lawsuit focuses principally on communications that were sent or received after Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State. FOIA was intended to inform and educate citizens about their government and elected officials. Disclosure of the records requested in these lawsuits would carry out that purpose. The RNC seeks records that will ensure that the public has information to consider whether former Secretary Clinton is fit to serve as the next President of the United States.   ###