Senators Investigating Obama AG Loretta Lynch over Interference in Clinton Probe

WASHINGTON -- A bipartisan group of senators are pursing information on former Attorney General Loretta Lynch's assurances to keep the Hillary Clinton email investigation from "going too far."

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee -- Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.,, and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I. -- requested information about the alleged interference by President Barack Obama's attorney general during the FBI's investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server during her time as secretary of state.   

Sen. Graham has repeatedly said, "I want to hear from Loretta Lynch."

The Senate Judiciary Committee oversees the FBI and Justice Department and says they are "obliged to oversee any potential misconduct or inappropriate political influence at these agencies." The committee is also reviewing the circumstances of James Comey's recent termination from the FBI. 

According to a letter from the committee: 

"In April, The New York Times reported that the FBI came into possession of a batch of hacked documents, one of which was said to be authored by a 'Democratic operative who expressed confidence that Ms. Lynch would keep the Clinton investigation from going too far.'  Chairman Grassley then requested a copy of the document from the Justice Department, which has failed to respond."  

"A month later, The Washington Post reported similar facts and provided further details about individuals involved in these communications. The Post reported that the email in question, sent by then-chair of the Democratic National Committee Debbie Wasserman Schultz to Leonard Benardo of the Open Society Foundations, indicated that Lynch had privately assured Clinton campaign staffer Amanda Renteria that the FBI's investigation wouldn't "go too far." 

"Comey was reportedly concerned that the communication would raise doubts about the investigation's independence and began discussing plans to announce the end of the Clinton email investigation rather than simply referring it to the Department for a prosecutorial decision. Comey's extraordinary action to announce the end of the investigation was a break from Justice Department protocol, and was later cited as justification for his removal from the FBI."

Former FBI Director James Comey testified during his hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee that during the FBI's probe of Clinton's use of a private e-mail server, Lynch asked Comey to refer to it as a "matter" instead of an "investigation".

The committee says "the reports come amidst numerous allegations of political inference in controversial and high-profile investigations spanning the current and previous administrations."

You can find their letter to former Attorney General Lynch here.