Senate

Grassley still waiting for Clinton staffer’s emails

by Jordain Carney - 12/11/15 8:00 PM ET

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) on Friday said he is still waiting on copies of official emails belonging to the staffer responsible for maintaining former secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private server, after State Department officials said they couldn’t find the email file.

Grassley, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday, stressing that the official emails of Bryan Pagliano, who was responsible for overseeing the former secretary of State’s server, are the committee’s “highest priority request.”

{mosads}”I am seeking copies of his official State Department emails relevant to the Committee’s inquiry before proceeding to consider whether it might be appropriate to grant him immunity and compel his testimony,” he wrote.

According to Grassley’s letter, State Department officials have told the committee they are unable to find a backup of the file that would contain Pagliano’s official department email. Instead, they are searching for emails through employees who may have communicated with him and have so far found a “limited number.”

Separately, Grassley asked FBI Director James Comey during a Judiciary Committee meeting this week whether the FBI has Palgiano’s computer.

The Iowa Republican is asking for the emails as he weighs whether to offer Pagliano immunity in return for subpoenaing him to testify. Pagliano has previously declined to speak with congressional committees, asserting his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination.

Grassley has been at the center of the Senate’s investigation into Clinton, with Friday’s letter marking the latest in a string of back-and-forths between the Iowa Republican and the adminstration over Pagliano.

Grassley warned that the committee won’t consider its request for his email completed until the State Department explains why it doesn’t have a backup of his email file, provides an “expert witnesses” to describe the “facts and circumstances” on why the department didn’t keep his emails and finishes it search of other employees’ emails and gives copies of any records to the committee.

Tags Bryan Pagliano Chuck Grassley Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton email controversy