The following is from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa).

FBI failed to take normal investigative steps and review all evidence

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) is drawing attention to findings from the Department of Justice (DOJ) Office of Inspector General (OIG), which reveal that the FBI failed to fully investigate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server and her mishandling of highly classified information during her time as Secretary of State.

The newly declassified “Clinton annex” is an appendix to the DOJ OIG’s June 2018 report reviewing the DOJ and FBI’s handling of the Clinton investigation. The annex was declassified and provided to Grassley at his request by the DOJ, now under the leadership of Attorney General Pam Bondi, along with other agencies.

Grassley had previously sought this information from the DOJ and FBI since 2018, later submitting requests to then-Attorney General Bill Barr in 2019, and again urging President Donald Trump to declassify the document in 2020. He renewed the request in 2025.

“This document shows an extreme lack of effort and due diligence in the FBI’s investigation of former Secretary Clinton’s email usage and mishandling of highly classified information,” Grassley said. “Under Comey’s leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor.”

“The Comey FBI’s negligent approach and perhaps intentional lack of effort in the Clinton investigation is a stark contrast to its full-throated investigation of the Trump-Russia collusion hoax, which was based on the uncorroborated and now discredited Steele dossier. Comey’s decision-making process smacks of political infection.”

“I warned years ago that the Clinton investigation failed to hit the mark, and I’m grateful the American people can finally see the facts for themselves,” Grassley continued. “After nearly a decade in the shadows, this information is now coming to light thanks to Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel’s dedicated efforts to fulfill my congressional request. I appreciate their ongoing commitment to transparency and strongly urge them to continue to fully review this matter, including its national security impact.”

📎 Read the Clinton annex HERE.

According to the DOJ OIG, the Clinton annex shows that the FBI obtained thumb drives from a source during the investigation. However, then-FBI Director James Comey, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, and former FBI Special Agent Peter Strzok did not conduct targeted searches on the drives, even though they contained information relevant to the inquiry.

The drives reportedly included highly sensitive material exfiltrated from US government agencies, such as the State Department, as well as emails involving then-President Barack Obama and possibly congressional data. The thumb drives were never reviewed, despite a draft FBI memo recommending they should be. Nor were they examined for foreign intelligence purposes.

Additionally, the FBI received intelligence reports of purported communications between Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), then-chair of the Democratic National Convention, and individuals affiliated with the Soros Open Society Foundations. These reports alleged the Obama administration worked to hinder the investigation and protect Clinton’s candidacy. The Clinton annex shows FBI leadership took no serious steps to verify these reports.

On July 5, 2016, Comey publicly exonerated Clinton and recommended no charges. Grassley’s oversight revealed that Comey had drafted the exoneration before even interviewing Clinton. Just weeks later, on July 31, 2016, the FBI launched the now-debunked Crossfire Hurricane investigation into Trump-Russia collusion. On that day, Strzok texted FBI lawyer Lisa Page:

“And damn this feels momentous. Because this matters. The other one did, too, but that was to ensure we didn’t F something up. This matters because this MATTERS. So super glad to be on this voyage with you.”

Grassley cited Comey’s handling of the Clinton investigation as further evidence he lacked the credibility to lead the FBI and said his termination was justified.

Read the full press release here.