A former diplomatic security agent told the FBI that Hillary Clinton “blatantly disregarded” security protocols while serving as secretary of state.
The revelation came in a 100-page collection of notes released Monday from the FBI’s year-long investigation of Clinton’s server. State Department staff members also expressed their view that “Clinton was using her position as secretary of state to campaign for President of the United States.”
According to the diplomatic security agent, whose name was redacted, Clinton flouted diplomatic standards by refusing to ride in an armored limousine with U.S. ambassadors while traveling abroad, instead choosing to ride only with longtime aide Huma Abedin.
“This frequently resulted in complaints from ambassadors who were insulted and embarrassed by this breach of protocol,” the FBI notes said.
“Clinton’s were well-known throughout Diplomatic Security and were ‘abundant,’ ” the witness told investigators.
There was a “stark difference” between the degree to which Clinton adhered to security rules compared to former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, the FBI noted.
State Department officials suspected Abedin “was often responsible for overriding security and diplomatic protocols on behalf of Clinton.”
During a trip to Indonesia, Clinton ignored the advice of her security guards by demanding a “photo opportunity” for a Clinton Foundation-backed project in a dangerous area of Jakarta, a move that “placed Clinton, her staff, the media and her security detail in unnecessary danger in order to conduct a photo opportunity for ‘her election campaign,’ ” according to the FBI’s notes.
