Recanting Again, FBI Admits in Court to Finding More ‘Tarmac Meeting’ Documents
After twice denying their existence—first lying to the ACLJ, and then once caught, claiming it had turned over all documents to the ACLJ—the FBI Deep State has just admitted in federal court that is has found new documents—16 pages and two text messages—that it will be forced to turn over to the ACLJ by the end of the month.
In recently filed court documents, the FBI finally admitted—on its supposedly third search attempt—that it has located another batch of documents responsive to the ACLJ’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information relating to former Attorney General Lynch’s suspiciously timed and highly secretive meeting with former President Clinton on a tarmac in Arizona just days before it publicly exonerated Hillary Clinton.
Specifically, the FBI reported that it has located an additional 16 pages and two text messages. The FBI informed the court that it will produce these documents to the ACLJ on or by May 31, 2018.
As we reported a few weeks ago, just days before the FBI was to file a response to the ACLJ’s motion for summary judgment challenging the adequacy of the FBI’s search for documents, the FBI, instead, filed a motion with the court requesting that summary judgment proceedings be stayed while the FBI conducted a third search for documents. Yes, you read that right. A third search.
The FBI’s earlier searches were less than sufficient to comply with federal requirements under FOIA. In fact, following its first supposed search, the FBI claimed that “no records” existed responsive to the ACLJ’s FOIA request. The ACLJ later obtained evidence that proved the FBI’s claim false, and the ACLJ demanded another search. Though a second search was conducted by the FBI, which produced some documents, it quickly became clear that the search was, again, inadequate.
Nonetheless, the FBI did not volunteer to conduct another search for documents. The ACLJ had to demand another search in federal court. In fact, when it finally was forced to conduct this third search, we learned that it was going to be searching the FBI’s “Central Records System“—for the first time. It was that bad.
Now, the FBI has just produced the two text messages to the ACLJ—texts between FBI agent Peter Strzok and now former FBI agent Lisa Page.
The texts, dated June 30, 2016, three days after the tarmac meeting, state:
“All the airport tarmac articles finally burst out. Took a little bit. Not a big deal, just ASTOUNDINGLY bad optic.”
“Omg he is spinning about the tarmac meeting, viewed in conjunction with the {REDACTED} Wants to meet at 4, have us bring lists of what we would do in an ordinary circumstance (easy, refer to PC) and in this circumstance (easy, refer to 7th floor). … “
The “he” referenced in the second text, based on the context of already released text messages, is likely Bill Priestap, assistant director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence Division. The “7th floor” is a clear reference to the upper echelon of FBI management—then-Director Comey and his top advisers and lieutenants. The texts paint an even clearer picture of just how high up the FBI chain the Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting was. They knew it was bad and were in full crisis management mode. Yet, it also shows how the mainstream media buried the story waiting several days to really cover it at all. In the end, we know it was the 7th floor—and Director Comey himself—who decided what the FBI would do—publicly exonerating Clinton just days later—something that was anything but “ordinary.”
As you might recall, the secretive meeting between Obama’s former AG and former Secretary Clinton’s husband took place just days before Secretary Clinton was questioned by the FBI regarding her treatment of classified information and amidst an ongoing investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ), led by Attorney General Lynch at the time. The meeting raised serious questions regarding the integrity of the DOJ’s investigation—an issue that has resurfaced in recent months with Congressional investigations and the release of the inspector general’s report last month indicating that the DOJ attempted to shut down the FBI’s multiple investigations (by four different field offices) into the Clinton Foundation and the foundation’s suspicious activity with a foreign donor.
In a recent interview, the former attorney general was again questioned regarding her infamous tarmac meeting. Lynch claims she only spoke about “innocuous things,” and asserts—in response to a question as to why she chose not to recuse herself in light of the significant shadow her meeting with the former President cast on the DOJ—that she decided to stayed on because her lawyers told her she didn’t need to recuse herself.
Yet, what the ACLJ has already uncovered through our lawsuits against the DOJ and FBI is that AG Lynch was conducting official business through an email alias—Elizabeth Carlisle—that the highest levels of the DOJ, the FBI—including Director Comey—and even the Obama White House were quickly aware of the meeting and intricately involved on coordinating the spin, even colluding with members of the mainstream medial to downplay the importance of the meeting, and that Obama loyalists have actually been tasked with investigating themselves. You can read the timeline and full breakdown of what the ACLJ has unearthed thus far in this case here.
We will not back down until we obtain the full truth about the infamous Clinton-Lynch meeting and expose this corruption to the public once and for all. When we obtain the remaining 16 pages of new documents later this month, we will be sure to let you know what new revelations we uncover. {eoa}
For the original article, visit aclj.org.