Federal Judge Sides With Judicial Watch, Orders Hillary Clinton Deposition Over Private Emails

[Image source: Wikipedia. Reddit-The_Donald. CNews Youtube video screenshot. Swamp Drain compilation].

Judicial Watch announced Monday in a press release that U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth granted Judicial Watch’s request to depose former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton about her emails and Benghazi attack documents. The court also ordered the deposition of Clinton’s former Chief of Staff, Cheryl Mills, and two other State Department officials.

On December 6, 2018, U.S. District Court Judge Lamberth ordered Obama administration senior State Department officials, lawyers, and Clinton aides to be deposed or answer written questions under oath. The court ruled that the Clinton email system was “one of the gravest modern offenses to government transparency,” as reported by Judicial Watch.

According to Judicial Watch, the court ordered discovery into three specific areas: whether Secretary Clinton’s email use of a private email server was intended to stymie FOIA; whether the State Department’s intent to settle this case in late 2014 and early 2015 amounted to bad faith; and whether the State Department has adequately searched for records responsive to Judicial Watch’s request.

In March, Swamp Drain reported that Judicial Watch would be “gathering evidence” by bringing people under oath and questioning them in person. JW scheduled depositions of top State Department/Clinton aides and deposed nearly a dozen witnesses including Hillary Clinton’s chief of staff at State and personal lawyer, Cheryl Mills, who directed the destruction of 33,000 State Department Clinton emails.

As previously reported in August 2019, president of Judicial Watch, Tom Fitton had tweeted: “BREAKING: Court gives @JudicialWatch additional discovery and witnesses on Clinton emails — wants Judicial Watch to ‘shake the tree’ on newly uncovered potential Clinton email trove. Gives Mrs. Clinton 30 days to oppose our request to question her under oath.”

Clinton has argued that she has already answered questions about this and should not have to do so again, but D.C. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth said in his ruling that Clinton’s prior testimony, mostly through written sworn answers, was not sufficient. (Continued Below)

According to Judicial Watch’s press release:

Discovery up until this point has brought to light a noteworthy amount of relevant information, but Judicial Watch requests an additional round of discovery, and understandably so. With each passing round of discovery, the Court is left with more questions than answers.

The Court has considered the numerous times in which Secretary Clinton said she could not recall or remember certain details in her prior interrogatory answers. In a deposition, it is more likely that the plaintiff’s counsel could use documents and other testimony to attempt to refresh her recollection. (Video Below)


And so, to avoid the unsatisfying and inefficient outcome of multiple rounds of fruitless interrogatories and move this almost six-year-old case closer to its conclusion, Judicial Watch will be permitted to clarify and further explore Secretary Clinton’s answers in person and immediately after she gives them. The Court agrees with Judicial Watch – it is time to hear directly from Secretary Clinton.

“Judicial Watch uncovered the Clinton email scandal and we’re pleased that the court authorized us to depose Mrs. Clinton directly on her email conduct and how it impacted the people’s ‘right to know’ under FOIA,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

President of Judicial Watch Tom Fitton tweeted on Monday: