Under Fire as Usual, Clinton Ramps up Her Trust Campaign

Clinton “is pleased to have had the opportunity to assist the Department of Justice in bringing this review to a conclusion” campaign spokesman Nick Merrill said in a statement.

Clinton, who declined to comment further on the probe, promised that “I will continue to be as forthcoming as I can”.

The vaunted data-driven machine that twice got President Barack Obama elected is revving up to help elect Hillary Clinton, as Democrats look to recreate the tactical advantage they used against Republicans in 2008 and 2012.

Obama and Clinton originally planned to make their first campaign appearance together in Wisconsin, a Democratic-leaning state where Clinton struggled in her primary fight with Bernie Sanders.

But as the past week shows, the case is complicated.

Not helping the trust campaign: the Bill Clinton-Loretta Lynch meeting. Last week the former president chose to board the plane of the FBI’s boss, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, on the tarmac of the Phoenix airport. Clinton aides say they’re confident they could deploy him in any battleground state, though they believe he’ll be particularly effective rallying young people, as well as black and Hispanic voters, and will be instrumental in voter registration efforts.

But when paired with Bill Clinton’s apparent misstep – meeting with Lynch at a time when his wife is under investigation – the two events once again fuel the narrative that the Clintons operate under different rules than the rest of the political world. But it has raised questions about whether it was appropriate given the investigation and has renewed calls from congressional Republicans for the appointment of a special prosecutor in the case.

“Not now”, said moderator Chuck Todd dashing her dreams.

And yet, there are still times when the former president can step in it. “And it shows what’s happening with our laws and with our government”.

Which includes Clinton and her advisers.

A conservative advocacy group that has long stalked both Hillary and Bill Clinton – dating back to former President Bill Clinton’s administration – may have unwittingly helped the former Secretary of State prepare for her recent Federal Bureau of Investigation interview. The Associated Press revealed the existence of the server in March 2015.

A starkly critical report by the State Department’s inspector general found she had not sought permission to conduct official business on her personal account. During her tenure at the State Department she was viewed favorably by most Americans.

The staffer who set up the server, Bryan Pagliano, was granted limited immunity from prosecution by the Justice Department last fall in exchange for his cooperation.

The interview signals that the FBI’s protracted criminal investigation could be entering its final phase, with a long-awaited decision nearing.

The former top U.S. diplomat said she learned of the meeting “in the news”.

“I never sent nor received any information that was classified at the time it was sent and received”, she told reporters previous year. “When he’s with them he’s so good”, said John Morgan, an Orlando attorney and longtime Clinton fundraiser. “I’ve released more than 55,000 pages of my emails for the public to read for themselves”, she said.

Heading into the general election, the Clintons continue to navigate the unique terrain of an ex-president campaigning for his wife. Because Obama is traveling to Charlotte exclusively for the goal of stumping for Clinton, her campaign (or the Democratic National Committee) would have to foot a portion of the bill whether the candidate was aboard or not. And Vice President Joe Biden will reinforce the message Friday in his hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, with Clinton at his side.

Clinton is considering potential vice presidential choices and preparing to formally receive the Democratic nomination on July 28 at the party’s convention in Philadelphia.