FBI lawyers revealed the existence of the records in response to a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch, the conservative watchdog group.
The FBI had informed Judicial Watch last October that the bureau did not have any records related to the June 27, 2016 meeting between Clinton and Lynch. That encounter, which occurred on the tarmac at Phoenix’s airport, was significant because it took place while the Justice Department was investigating Hillary Clinton’s potential mishandling of classified information on her private email account.Though the FBI told Judicial Watch that it did not have records related to the meeting, the Justice Department revealed in response to a separate lawsuit filed by the watchdog that some of its officials had been in contact with FBI officials about the Clinton-Lynch encounter.
In August, the Justice Department released emails showing some of its officials exchanging emails with the FBI regarding the meeting. And in a July 1, 2016, email, Justice Department official Caroline Pokomy told colleagues that "FBI is asking for guidance" on the controversy.
After the release of those documents, the FBI acknowledged that it had possession of some records related to the meeting. The bureau’s attorneys informed Judicial Watch that, "Upon further review, we subsequently determined potentially responsive documents may exist."
It is unclear what documents about the tarmac meeting the FBI has in its possession, but Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton calls the FBI’s new disclosure "stunning."
"The FBI is out of control," Fitton said in a statement.
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