In a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry, Grassley asked about a dispute between State Department Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) specialists and the Office of the Legal Advisor attorneys. A memo from the inspectors general at the State Department and the Intelligence Community indicates that FOIA specialists believed that certain information in the emails should have been redacted prior to being released because it was classified, but the reason for redacting the material was apparently later changed by Office of Legal Advisor attorneys before release
Grassley cited media reports indicating that some State Department employees, "Have notified the Intelligence Community Inspector General that department attorneys involved in reviewing Secretary Clinton's emails appear to have a conflict of interest, or at least a reason to question their objectivity."
The Intelligence Community Inspector General recommended that the intelligence community be a part of the discussions and act as a final arbiter regarding the release of possible classified information. The inspectors general consider this recommendation to be "unresolved."
The text of Grassley's letter to Kerry is below. A copy of the signed letter is here.
