Critics say DOJ insider should recuse himself after ‘heads up’ leak
The latest WikiLeaks bombshell shows a Justice Department insider, who is involved in the new FBI probe of Hillary Clinton’s emails, giving Clinton campaign manager John Podesta a “heads up” email about the case last year.
Critics say the email shows that Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik should recuse himself from the reopened Clinton email probe. It also hands Donald Trump fresh ammo in his claim the election has been “rigged” in favor of Clinton.
“The chumminess is a big problem, and frankly it’s part of the reason for the cynicism that’s grown about the system,” said civil rights attorney Harvey Silverglate. “It proves that the two major parties have been derelict in creating a political system in which voters can rightly have confidence.”
The email, which Kadzik sent via his own Gmail account to Podesta last May, features the subject line “Heads up,” and alerts him: “There is a HJC oversight hearing today where the head of our Civil Division will testify. Likely to get questions on State Department emails.”
Kadzik also kept Podesta posted on other developments.
“Another filing in the FOIA case went in last night or will go in this am that indicates it will be awhile (2016) before the State Department posts the emails,” Kadzik wrote to Podesta, who forwarded that to other campaign staff, adding, “Additional chances for mischief.”
The Clinton campaign and DOJ did not comment on the Kadzik email.
Prior WikiLeaks email releases show Kadzik’s son emailing Podesta about a Clinton campaign job two weeks before the “Heads up” email, and Podesta hosting Kadzik for dinner at his home while the probe was unfolding.
Trump, in Florida yesterday, said, “These are the people that want to run our country, folks,” he told the crowd. “The spread of political agendas into the Justice Department — there’s never been a thing like this that has happened in our country’s history.”