Hillary Clinton faces fresh investigations amid renewed corruption claims
Claims linking Hillary Clinton to corruption resurfaced in Washington on Friday as it was reported that the FBI was looking into her charitable foundation and the Justice department was looking into her email server.
As a presidential candidate Mrs Clinton faced claims of mishandling classified information and a high profile FBI investigation into her use of a private email server while secretary of state was partially credited with her defeat in the 2016 election.
The email investigation was later closed in 2016 on the recommendation of then FBI Director James Comey but Donald Trump and other senior Republicans have repeatedly called for further scrutiny into Mrs Clinton's actions.
Just this week Mr Trump tweeted to say Huma Abedin, a close aide to Mrs Clinton, should be jailed over her handling of certain emails.
Crooked Hillary Clinton’s top aid, Huma Abedin, has been accused of disregarding basic security protocols. She put Classified Passwords into the hands of foreign agents. Remember sailors pictures on submarine? Jail! Deep State Justice Dept must finally act? Also on Comey & others
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018
It has been suggested that Mr Trump's calls for fresh probes into Mrs Clinton are intended to divert attention away from a Justice Department (DoJ) investigation into his own campaign's possible collusion with Russia during the presidential election.
Republican lawmakers have also previously called on the attorney general, Jeff Sessions, to investigate Clinton Foundation dealings and appoint a special counsel - as has been done in the Russia investigation - to look into the matter.
Reports have now emerged in US media that Justice Department officials are taking a fresh look at how Mrs Clinton and her aides handled classified information, leading to speculation that the move is politically motivated.
FAQ | Hillary Clinton’s emails
Separately it has emerged that the FBI is looking at Mrs Clinton's dealings with donors to the Clinton Foundation while she was secretary of state.
The intelligence agency first began an investigation into the foundation in 2015 but it was halted during the 2016 presidential election amid fears from the DoJ that it may have affected the election result if it became public knowledge.
However investigators have been quietly resuming their inquiries for the past few months, the Washington Post reported.
They are thought to be looking at whether any of Mrs Clinton's official acts are linked to any donations but it is not clear whether there are specific donations or activities which are being examined.
Nick Merrill, a spokesman for Hillary Clinton, said: “Let’s call this what it is: a sham.
“This is a philanthropy that does life-changing work, which Republicans have tried to turn into a political football. It began with a long-debunked project spearheaded by (former Trump adviser) Steve Bannon during the presidential campaign.
"It continues with Jeff Sessions doing Trump’s bidding by heeding his calls to meddle with a department that is supposed to function independently. The goal is to distract from the indictments, guilty pleas, and accusations of treason from Trump’s own people at the expense of our justice system’s integrity. It’s disgraceful, and should be concerning to all Americans.”
