Letter to The Honorable John F. Kerry, Secretary of State - Handling of Classified Material

Letter

VIA ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION

The Honorable John F. Kerry
Secretary of State
Office of the Secretary
United States Department of State
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20520

Dear Secretary Kerry:

The Inspector General of the Intelligence Community (IC OIG) and the Inspector General of the State Department (State OIG) recently notified the FBI, State Department, and several Intelligence Community agencies of a compromise of national security information in connection with Hillary Clinton's use of a non-governmental email server while Secretary of State. Specifically, in a sample of 40 of Secretary Clinton's emails, the IC OIG identified four containing classified information. According to IC OIG and State OIG, both requested a copy of Secretary Clinton's 30,000 emails in the State Department's possession. This request was made so that they could "perform sampling and render an independent determination of the sufficiency of internal controls being implemented by State FOIA to protect classified national security information."

In response, the State Department refused to provide State OIG with copies of the 30,000 emails. In addition, the State Department wholly rejected the IC OIG's request asserting that it lacks jurisdiction, a claim with which the IC OIG rejects. The State Department's refusal to fully cooperate in this matter is extremely troubling given the risk that national security information is not being adequately protected.
Accordingly, please provide a written explanation of why the State Department refuses to provide State OIG and the IC OIG with copies of the 30,000 emails.

Please respond no later than August 10, 2015. If you have any questions, please contact XXXXX my Committee staff at (202) 224-5225. Thank you for your cooperation in this important matter.

Sincerely,

Charles E. Grassley
Chairman
Committee on the Judiciary

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