Did Ex-FBI boss James Comey 'botch' Hillary Clinton's email probe? Declassified docs make shock revelation

New DOJ docs suggest Comey, McCabe & Strzok ignored key evidence in Clinton email probe, backing Grassley's claim FBI skipped searches on relevant thumb drives.

Updated on: Jul 22, 2025, 01:22:48 IST

By Shamik Banerjee

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A set of newly declassified documents from the Department of Justice's probe into former FBI Director James Comey's handling of Hilary Clinton's email controversy seems to have put Comey in a tight spot.

Coming on the heels of Tulsi Gabbard's allegations that the Obama administration manufactured the 'hoax' around Donald Trump's Russia link, this new set of documents, released by Senator Chuck Grassley, alleges that Comey deliberately did not investigate Hillary Clinton's email servers.

Senator Grassley's office released a statement saying that the DOJ Inspector General’s Clinton annex shows that the FBI obtained thumb drives during the Clinton investigation but failed to conduct further targeted searches on them.

It alleges then-FBI Director Comey, Deputy Director Andrew McCabe, former Agent Peter Strzok, and others did not examine their contents.

The Hillary Clinton email controversy, one of the key Republican agendas of the 2016 US election, refers to Clinton using a private email server for official communication during her time as the US Secretary of State, from 2009 to 2013, under Obama. The Clinton email controversy sparked an FBI probe over allegations that potentially classified documents were compromised.

The FBI, under James Comey, probed the incident and concluded in 2016 that Hillary Clinton was "extremely careless" with her handling of the email server. Of the 30,000 work‐related emails handed over to the State Department for the probe, 110 emails (across 52 chains) were found to have contained classified information.

Also read: Maurene Comey fired by Pam Bondi over Epstein files row with James Comey? What we know

Trump Posts AI Video Of Obama's Arrest

After National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard's allegations that the Obama administration manufactured the "hoax" around Russia's interference in the 2016 US elections, President Trump posted an AI-generated video of Obama's arrest on his social media handle.

Here's the video:

In the video, Obama can be seen being handcuffed by FBI agents in the Oval Office, with Trump watching and smiling, and later Obama wearing an orange jumpsuit in a jail cell.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shamik Banerjee
Shamik is a journalist covering the United States for Hindustan Times. He has more than four years of experience reporting on US politics, sports, and major breaking stories across fast-moving cycles. He previously worked at Times Now and Sportskeeda, building strong newsroom instincts and digital storytelling skills. At HT.com, he focuses on day-to-day coverage of US political developments while also handling high-impact stories that demand speed, accuracy, clarity, and context under pressure. Shamik has extensive experience covering NFL game days over the past two years, coordinating live updates, analysis, and explainers. He is particularly drawn to large news moments such as US elections and the Super Bowl, where he thrives at the news desk working alongside the team. He holds degrees in Media Studies from Jamia Millia Islamia and English Literature from Jadavpur University. Before entering journalism, he briefly worked in digital marketing and political consultancy roles. Currently a Senior Content Producer at HT Digital, he is driven by curiosity, discipline, and a constant desire to explore new and obscure topics. Outside work, he enjoys reading, films, sports, and learning continuously.Read More

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