The FBI has expanded its probe into the private email
arrangement of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to
determine if there's any evidence she violated a federal false
statements law,
Fox News reports.
According to Fox News, unnamed intelligence sources say the
agency is now focusing on U.S. Code 18, Section 1001 — a
provision that pertains to "materially false" statements given
either in writing, orally or through a third party — a felony
punishable by five years in prison.
The wider scope represents an expansion of the agency's
investigation that's also looking at potential violations of an
Espionage Act provision relating to "gross negligence" in the
handling of national defense information, Fox News reports.
"The agents involved are under a lot of pressure and are busting
a —," a source tells Fox News.
The expanded probe follows a report earlier in the week that the
FBI is stepping up the Clinton email
investigation.
Former FBI agent Timothy Gill explains the section of the
federal statute on false statements that may apply to Clinton
"is a broad, brush statute that punishes individuals who are not
direct and fulsome in their answers."
"It is a cover-all," he tells Fox News. "The problem for a
defendant is when their statements cause the bureau to expend
more time, energy, resources to de-conflict their statements
with the evidence,."
Meanwhile, Fox News, citing two unnamed government officials,
also reports the FBI is doing its own classification review of
the Clinton emails — "effectively cutting out what has become a
grinding process at the State Department."
One government source tells Fox News the FBI is identifying
suspect emails, and then going directly to the agencies who
originated them — and who, under the regulations, have final say
on the classification.
Clinton has been under fire for months for
using a private email server
while serving as secretary of state, and has repeatedly insisted
it was never used for classified information.