Email scandal continues to deliver bad news for Clinton campaign

As the weeks and months drag on in the FBI’s investigation of Hillary Clinton’s private email server, speculation grows as to how the case will be resolved. Some of the more cynical political observers suspect the “fix” is in—regardless of what evidence the FBI uncovers about possible national security law violations, Clinton will not be indicted. Recent statements by Clinton and President Barack Obama have fueled that speculation.

Last week while interviewing Clinton, Matt Laurer said Republicans are telling him they’re counting on her being indicted for keeping top-secret documents on her unsecured home server. Clinton laughed off hope the FBI would recommend prosecution.

“They live in that world of fantasy and hope because they’ve got a mess on their hands on the Republican side,” Clinton said. “That is not going to happen. There is not even the remotest chance that is going to happen.”

But Mary Anne Marsh, former advisor to Secretary of State John Kerry, said Clinton isn’t laughing off the investigation and blames people conducting the probe for leaks seemingly intended to harm her presidential campaign.

“Everybody here, including people who are involved in this investigation, are prejudicing it by putting information out there that is factually incorrect, not true,” Marsh said, referring to reports that up to 150 full- and part-time FBI agents are working on the case. Other reports say the investigation has expanded to include possible corruption at the Clinton Family Foundation and allegations that, as secretary of state, Clinton sold favorable treatment to donors.

During a Sunday interview with Fox News’s Chris Wallace, Obama sought to quell all rumors of a political fix for Clinton.

“Nobody gets treated differently when it comes to the Justice Department because nobody is above the law,” he said.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said if the president is being truthful, it could be because political shenanigans wouldn’t work in the FBI probe.

“If the FBI does recommend charges, if the Justice Department blocks it, I can almost guarantee that the FBI is going to go public in some capacity [saying] they recommended charges, so you know, the president may understand that, and realize that there’s really no way to stop this,” Kinzinger said.

Obama continues to insist Clinton broke no laws, but he might now be hedging his bet.

“I continue to believe that she has not jeopardized America’s national security,” Obama said. “Now, what I’ve also said is that, and she’s acknowledged, that there’s a carelessness in terms of managing emails that she has owned and that she recognizes.”

Listen to Jim Henry’s report on Hillary Clinton’s email scandal on The World and Everything in It.