(Video above: Sen. Jeff Sessions discusses the latest batch of Clinton emails on Fox News)
WASHINGTON — Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) says the latest emails released from Hillary Clinton’s time at the State Department reveal a “pay for play” scheme between the Clinton Foundation and the Department of State, and added that the “issue was not closed” with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Judicial Watch obtained emails between State Department and Clinton Foundation staffers that show the level of access major Clinton Foundation donors were given to U.S. government officials during Hillary Clinton’s time as Secretary of State.
“They show the Clinton Foundation, Clinton donors and operatives worked with Hillary Clinton in potential violation of the law,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.
In one notable example, a top executive at the Clinton Foundation requested a State Department meeting on behalf of one of the Foundation’s largest donors, a wealthy Nigerian businessman named Gilbert Chagoury.
“We need Gilbert Chagoury to speak to the substance person re Lebanon,” The Foundation’s Doug Band wrote in the email to Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills, two top Clinton aides at the State Department. “As you know he’s a key guy there and to us and is loved in Lebanon. Very imp.”
Ms. Abedin responded by saying she would email then-U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman. Mr. Band responded that it would be better to call him and stressed it needed to happen quickly.
Asked by a Fox News anchor if the emails reveal that the Clintons were running a “pay-to-play” operation, Sen. Sessions said he believes they do.
“I think that is a fair description of it,” he said. “It does clearly appear that individuals who were dealing with the United States government and its representative Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of State, made massive contributions to her and Bill Clinton’s foundation. And it does appear from the emails that they got benefits from that. So I think that is unacceptable. I do believe it is worthy of an investigation. And, in fact, as I understood the FBI Director, he indicated some weeks ago that that issue was not closed.
“It is dangerous,” Sen. Sessions continued. “It is the kind of thing that is worthy of a serious investigation. And when [Clinton Foundation executive Doug Bland] said it was ‘important,’ he didn’t mean it was important to the United States, he meant it was important to the Foundation, which is a private entity. The secretary of state cannot be using the power of that office to subordinate the national interest to the Foundation’s interest. So I think that is a serious problem and who knows what else will be in some of these emails that have not been disclosed. These are emails that have been suppressed, held back and are just now coming to light.”
Sen. Sessions said he believes Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump should continue hammering on revelations from the Clinton emails, as well as touting his recently released economic proposals.
“I think he needs to continue to talk about this issue and her integrity and leadership ability,” said Sessions. “But actually he also needs to move forward on the great issues he’s raised on the economy… [He has laid out] a plan that will increase growth and productivity in American; help wages rise instead of fall… The people of this country are hurting. They’re not angry because they’re just irritable, they’re angry because systemically things have not gone well. It’s time for this government to respond. We need a change and Donald Trump has got the right ideas and can make this country better.”
