A newly declassified report from the Department of Justice’s internal oversight body accuses the FBI—then led by Director James Comey—of cutting corners during its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server while she was Secretary of State.
The report, referred to as the “Clinton annex,” was released by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley and is an addendum to the DOJ Inspector General’s 2018 review of the Clinton email investigation. According to Grassley, the annex confirms longstanding concerns that the FBI failed to fully investigate the potential national security implications of Clinton’s email practices.
“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 in a statement. “Under Comey’s leadership, the FBI failed to perform fundamental investigative work and left key pieces of evidence on the cutting room floor.”
Grassley, along with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), had pushed for the annex’s declassification since 2018 and renewed the request during both the Trump and Biden administrations. The report was finally made public this month with the help of Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel, both Trump appointees.
According to the annex, the FBI received a thumb drive containing potentially sensitive data—reportedly including communications from former President Barack Obama, State Department files, and possibly even congressional material. Despite the contents, the report claims the FBI failed to investigate the drive thoroughly or assess its national security implications.
The report also implicates senior FBI officials, including former Deputy Director Andrew McCabe and former agent Peter Strzok, for allegedly deciding not to pursue further investigation. The DOJ watchdog suggested the Bureau had intelligence pointing to contacts between then-DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz and figures linked to the Soros-funded Open Society Foundations, but again, no deeper inquiry was pursued.
The annex supports claims that the Clinton probe was prematurely closed and key leads were left unexplored. Clinton was ultimately cleared by Comey in 2018, a decision that drew intense criticism from Republicans at the time.
“After nearly a decade in the shadows, this information is now coming to light,” Grassley said. “I urge the Justice Department and FBI to fully review this matter, including its impact on national security. The American people deserve answers—and transparency.”
The revelations are expected to reignite debate over how the FBI handled politically sensitive investigations during the Obama and Trump administrations.
