Lynch Admits Meeting With Bill Clinton ‘Cast A Shadow’ Over Emails Probe

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Attorney General Loretta Lynch expressed regret Friday about her private meeting this week with Bill Clinton, saying it “cast a shadow” over the integrity of the Justice Department’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server.

In an appearance at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Lynch was forced to contend with the fallout from her meeting with the former President when their paths crossed on the tarmac at the Phoenix airport Monday.

Asked by the Washington Post’s Jonathan Capehart, “What on Earth were you thinking,” Lynch responded it was a purely “social meeting” but went on to say that its impact on public perceptions of the probe is something she takes “seriously and deeply and painfully.”

“I certainly wouldn’t do it again,” she said. “I think it has cast a shadow over what it should not, over what it will not, touch.”

The Attorney General also emphasized the investigation was being handled by “career agents” of the department, not political appointees, and she confirmed reports from earlier in the day that she would accept their recommendations on how the case should move forward after reviewing their findings.

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