Clinton library docs released

Tens of thousands of documents from the Clinton White House were released on Friday by the former president’s library.

The documents include sensitive papers involving federal appointments and confidential communications. The papers were exempt from requirements that they be disclosed for years.

Reporters immideately began scouring through the document trove in pursuit of new revelations about the activities of the Clintons in the White House.

{mosads}Representatives of Clinton and President Obama have approved the release of the majority of the 33,000 pages of Clinton presidential records, a National Archives spokesman said in a written statement to CNN.

More documents will be released later in May, as the library seeks to complete its own review of the papers by March 26. The deadline for its review was recently extended.

“Our goal is to make these records available as soon as possible, but it will take the Clinton Library and [the National Archives] additional time to complete the logistics of making available such a large release, including being able to make the records available on the Web. We will let you know as soon as we can when the records are available,” the spokesman said.

The law allows certain White House documents to be withheld from public view for 12 years after the president leaves office.

The release of the papers comes as former first lady Hillary Clinton considers a White House run in 2016. Polls suggest Clinton is a huge favorite to win the Democratic nomination, and there’s more interest in the Clinton papers as a result.

Republican Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), another possible contender in 2016, has recently raised the Monica Lewinsky scandal in attacking the Clintons. He has said Democrats should be embarrassed to stand with the former president.

“I think he’s a bad role model for the workplace, for women’s rights, for all of that, and I think really they ought to be a little embarrassed to be associated or being seen with him,” Paul said.

— This story was first posted at 7:42 a.m. and has been updated.