Quite a few eyebrows were raised this week after an apparent impromptu meeting between the Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Former President Bill Clinton.
In a rare bipartisan moment, members in both parties are deeply uncomfortable with the meeting as it signifies a possible conflict of interest in the ongoing investigation of Hillary Clinton’s email scandal.
Whether or not you believe that Clinton is innocent or guilty when it comes to her “damn emails” the fact is that the investigation is very much active and ongoing, and for the leader of that group to be fraternizing with the husband of the person being investigated should make everyone deeply uncomfortable.
So what did the two discuss during their private meeting? If Atty Gen Lynch is to be believed, the topics were light and unrelated to work. Grandchildren, golf, traveling.
Though it is easy to believe that the two were truly talking innocently, why would they take the chance and create such a talking-point? The Clintons should be doing their best to cooperate and minimize this entire scandal, not go gallivanting around with the leader of the entire investigation.
And what was Lynch thinking? People already question her leadership abilities in her position and will be ready to cry foul at whatever verdict the FBI reaches in the email case, so why place an inopportune meeting in the way of what could be a much more transparent investigation?
The two did nothing illegal by holding their conversation, and noted legal professor Stephen Gillers says that nothing that happened could be considered legally unethical, but Gillers placed the bulk of the blame on Clinton who he claims put Lynch in a very difficult spot.
“It was the height of insensitivity for the former president to approach the attorney general. He put her in a very difficult position. She wasn’t really free to say she wouldn’t talk to a former president. He jeopardized her independence and did create an appearance of impropriety going on to her plane.”
Blunders like this will only do more damage to the Clinton campaign and make some people toss aside the old Bernie adage about those “damn emails.” Some people are starting to care, and care a whole lot.
