Obama Administration Files Motion In An Effort To Protect Clinton

May 30, 2016

The Obama administration is stepping in to prevent Democratic presidential candidate and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton from being deposed in a legal case dealing with her use of a private email server for classified information.

The Hill reported Friday that the Justice Department has filed a motion opposing a request from legal watchdog Judicial Watch that Clinton be deposed.

The filing states Judicial Watch is, “seeking instead to transform these proceedings into a wide-ranging inquiry into matters beyond the scope of the court’s order and unrelated to the FOIA request at issue in this case.”

Attorneys filed the motion Thursday, calling the request to depose Clinton “wholly inappropriate.”

Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton said the request to have Clinton deposed was made for an important purpose. “Mrs. Clinton’s testimony will help the courts determine whether her email practices thwarted the Freedom of Information Act.”

The case against Clinton is a result of Judicial Watch’s attempts to obtain documentation related to the 2012 terrorist attack’s in Benghazi. Investigation into the incident expanded into questions concerning Clinton’s handling of classified emails.

Although Clinton is not expected to be called on to answer questions in the original case, U.S. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan said, “Based on information learned during discovery, the deposition of Mrs. Clinton may be necessary.”

The Justice Department called the request to depose Clinton “overbroad and duplicative.” The motion also asserted the depositions in the original case should be finished before attempting to question Clinton.