FBI Releases Redacted Clinton Foundation Files One Week Before U.S. Election

sputniknews.com

With only one week left before the US election, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has released heavily redacted files related to a 2001 investigation into the William J. Clinton Foundation.

The investigation concerned former President Bill Clinton’s pardon of Marc Rich during his last days in office. "In accordance with the policy regarding Public Corruption investigations, the authority of the SAC is requested to open a Preliminary Investigation," one portion of the documents reads.

Both Rich and his partner, Pincus Green, were indicted on a number of charges, including mail fraud, wire fraud, tax evasion, and racketeering, and lived in exile in Switzerland before being pardoned.

"[Redacted] has been a major political donor to the Democratic Party, and these donations may have been intended to influence the fugitive’s pardon," the documents state, adding that "public records also indicate that [redacted] contributed approximately [redacted] to the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, a foundation to support the Clinton library.

"Pursuant to testimony provided at the aforementioned hearings, it appears that the required pardon standards and procedures were not followed."

The records were released as part of a Freedom of Information Act request, but the timing of the release is odd, especially given that FBI Director James Comey is already under fire from both Republicans and Democrats for his decision on Friday to announce the Bureau had uncovered new emails from Democratic presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton.