Update: Hillary Clinton Won’t Face Federal Charges Over Email Servers

Update: The State Department is reopening its own probe into whether the use of a private email server Hillary Clinton and her aides resulted in improper handling of classified information, The Associated Press reports. The department had put its initial inquiry on hold while the FBI completed its investigation. "We will aim to be as expeditious as possible, but we will not put artificial deadlines on the process," spokesman John Kirby said. "Our goal will be to be as transparent as possible about our results, while complying with our various legal obligations."
Update July 6, 2016: The Justice Department is closing its investigation into Hillary Clinton's use of email as secretary of state without pressing criminal charges, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch confirmed Wednesday. The announcement comes one day after the FBI's director said the agency is not recommending charges on the matter. “Late this afternoon, I met with FBI Director James Comey and career prosecutors and agents who conducted the investigation of Secretary Hillary Clinton’s use of a personal email system during her time as secretary of state," Lynch said in a statement, according to The Washington Post. "I received and accepted their unanimous recommendation that the thorough, year-long investigation be closed, and that no charges be brought against any individuals within the scope of the investigation."

Update July 5, 2016: The FBI is not recommending criminal charges in the case involving Hillary Clinton's use of private email servers and personal devices while serving as secretary of state. While the FBI's investigation concluded that Clinton and staff were "extremely careless in their handling of highly classified" information exchanged over email, investigators are not recommending criminal charges in the case. "We are expressing to [the Department of] Justice our view that no charges are appropriate in this case," FBI Director James Comey said in a statement to the press Tuesday. The FBI's “painstaking undertaking” of reviewing all 30,000 emails Clinton turned over to the State Department, plus additional work-related messages that had not previously been reviewed, identified 110 emails containing classified information.

“None of these emails should have been on any kind of unclassified system," Comey said. But Comey said that, despite evidence of potential violations in the handling of the information, he believes "no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case" based on what the FBI's probe found. The presumptive Democratic nominee's campaign said in a statement that it is “pleased that the career officials handling this have determined that no further action by the Department is appropriate.” “As the secretary has long said, it was a mistake to use her personal email and she would not do it again. We are glad that this matter is now resolved,” the statement read. Republicans, meanwhile, blasted the decision. Presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump tweeted that "the system is rigged." "Very very unfair! As usual, bad judgment," he wrote. House Speaker Paul Ryan said the announcement “defies explanation.” He called for more information about the bureau’s determination.

“Declining to prosecute Secretary Clinton for recklessly mishandling and transmitting national security information will set a terrible precedent,” he said in a statement.

This story was originally published on July 2, 2016.

Hillary Clinton was interviewed by the FBI on Saturday as part of the continuing probe into her use of a private email server while serving as secretary of state.

The Associated Press reports that Clinton sat for a voluntary three-and-a-half hour interview at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C., as part of the investigation which has been ongoing for nearly a year. In a statement shared with the press, a Clinton spokesperson said that the presumptive Democratic nominee for president was “pleased to have had the opportunity to assist the Department of Justice in bringing this review to a conclusion.” He added that “out of respect for the investigative process, she will not comment further on her interview." Clinton has been under investigation for potentially mishandling sensitive information after it was revealed that she used a private email server, located in the basement of her New York home, for official State Department emails while she served as Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013. Last month, a federal audit found Clinton to be at fault for disregarding guidelines about cybersecurity during her time in office, but also acknowledged that the faults were systematic, rather than limited to any one secretary of state. The interview comes a few days after U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said that she intended to accept the findings and recommendations of the investigation. Lynch was later criticized for a spur-of-the-moment meeting with Clinton’s husband, Bill, which some called inappropriate given that Clinton is still under investigation. Both parties have said that the meeting was social.