FBI won’t rule out probe into Clinton Foundation

The head of the FBI on Thursday declined to say whether his bureau was investigating possible impropriety at the Clinton Foundation and whether the nonprofit group had undue influence at the State Department.

“I’m not going to comment on the existence or nonexistence of any other ongoing investigations,” Director James Comey told the House Oversight Committee when asked whether the FBI had looked into the foundation as part of its probe into Hillary Clinton and the private email server she used as secretary of State. 

{mosads}Comey also refused to answer a followup question from Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) about whether the Clinton Foundation was “tied into” the Clinton investigation.

The comments stoked speculation about a possible ongoing probe connected to the charitable organization, even after the Justice Department on Wednesday abandoned the possibility of charges against Clinton, now the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, for mishandling classified information.

Speaking on Bloomberg’s “With All Due Respect” later Thursday, Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon said that “a no comment in that situation doesn’t tell you anything.”

“I personally have no knowledge to that effect and as someone who used to work at the Justice Department the normal practice is to not answer that question one way or another,” Fallon said.

The bureau has been reported to be pursuing an investigation related to the foundation, though it has never officially acknowledged it.

Citing anonymous intelligence officials, Fox News reported earlier this year that investigators were examining whether public corruption laws were violated by the intersection of Clinton’s work as the former secretary of State and that of the foundation.

—Updated at 5:53 p.m. Ben Kamisar contributed.