Trump: Fire State official for ‘blatant quid pro quo’

Trump isn’t satisfied with vigorous denials from the FBI and the State Department, whose top spokesman Monday rejected calls from Congress to fire the State Department official in question, Patrick Kennedy, undersecretary for management.

“The news that top Clinton aide Patrick Kennedy tried to engage in a blatant quid pro quo for changing the classification level of several of Clinton’s emails shows a cavalier attitude towards protecting our nation’s secrets,” Trump spokesman Jason Miller said in a statement.

“Kennedy must resign from the State Department immediately, and Clinton must state he has no place in her administration if she is elected president,” he added.

Trump tweeted about the development several times Monday, arguing that Clinton “colluded” with the FBI and State Department to help protect her during the investigation, deeming it more fodder for his charges that the U.S. election system is “rigged” against him.

“Crooked Hillary colluded w/FBI and DOJ and media is covering up to protect her. It’s a #RiggedSystem! Our country deserves better!” Trump tweeted Monday afternoon.

FBI notes from its investigation into the Clinton private email scandal, released Monday, that Kennedy pressured the FBI to change the classified markings on an email that had been upgraded to “secret.”

Kennedy, according to the notes and GOP lawmakers’ interpretation of them, offered the FBI more slots for agents in Iraq in exchange for the FBI downgrading or declassifying a key email in the Clinton investigation.

No trade was ever made, but the GOP lawmakers seized on the discussion about the potential exchange as evidence of a quid quo pro and called on the State Department to fire Kennedy.

Amid the firestorm, State Department spokesman Mark Toner Monday said Kennedy was staying put.

“I can say that Pat Kennedy is going to remain at his job, and he has the full confidence of the secretary of state,” he said.