FBI agents working on the investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private email use were forced to sign strict non-disclosure agreements and were even subject to lie-detector tests in order to prevent leaks about the controversial case.
The law enforcement agency confirmed the use of such agreements in a letter to Sen. Chuck Grassley, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, after he inquired about details of the investigation.
“The FBI asked the limited number of personnel working on this matter to sign ‘Case Briefing Acknowledgment’ forms,” wrote Stephen Kelly, an FBI official. “These forms served two purposes: to maintain an official record of all persons knowledgeable of this highly sensitive investigation, and to remind individuals of their obligations to protect classified and sensitive information.”
“No one refused to sign the acknowledgement or raised any questions or concerns about doing so,” Kelly added.
A copy of the “Case Briefing Acknowledgement” form was included in the letter to Grassley. The agreement described the Clinton probe as a “counterintelligence investigation” and asked agents to sign their name in acknowledgement of the following requirement:
“I also understand that, due to the nature and sensitivity of this investigation, compliance with these restrictions may be subject to verification by polygraph examination.”
An addendum to the form, which Kelly described as a standard agreement used in high-profile cases, reminded agents that the nondisclosure provisions would not override their whistleblower rights should they wish to lodge a protected complaint.
The letter, which was dated July 1 but made public Thursday in a Fox News report, was referenced by FBI agents who complained anonymously that Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s private meeting with Clinton’s husband created the perception within the bureau that an “inside deal” had been struck to shield the former secretary of state from criminal charges.
