Evan Vucci/AP
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A backup data device containing Hillary Clinton’s emails exists in the FBI’s possession. The FBI is now challenged to produce the long forgotten device.
The FBI received a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request “VIA CERTIFIED MAIL” Wednesday from Judicial Watch.
The existence of this device is generating behind-the-scenes frenzy in the Beltway as the FBI continues to get hammered over its investigation of the Clinton email scandal. FBI director James Comey conducted an investigation based on small partial email discoveries here and there. The fact that the FBI did not look at all of her emails actually helped Clinton to avoid prosecution. What if the FBI had considered all the emails that were just released by Wikileaks, instead of just the emails that Comey found in small batches of 30? Could that have changed the result and led to a prosecution?
The Judicial Watch FOIA request aims for Clinton’s “Datto device.”
The FOIA request asks for:
Any and all records, including but not limited to emails or text messages (SMSs, MMSs, BBMs, iMessages, etc.), discovered, recovered, retrieved from, or found on any Datto device.
Any and all records concerning or relating to the FBI’s efforts to discover, recover, retrieve, or find emails or text messages stored on the Datto device, equipment or hardware reference in Request No. 1.
What is a Datto device?
Breitbart News reported in October of last year:
Yesterday we learned that Hillary Clinton’s home-brew email server was using an online backup service called Datto, Inc. to create copies of her data – a hair-raising proposition, given that Clinton’s server improperly contained classified and Top Secret material, made even more alarming by the fact that Clinton’s computer company didn’t realize her machine was still communicating with Datto until shortly before they surrendered it to the FBI.
Hillary Clinton’s server was stored by a computer company in Denver called Platte River Networks, while Datto is based in Connecticut.
Wednesday afternoon, Datto announced it had turned over a “hardware device” to the FBI, along with all Clinton emails the company had in its possession.
“With the consent of our client and their end user, and consistent with our policies regarding data privacy, yesterday, Tuesday, October 6, Datto delivered a hardware device to the FBI containing all backed up data related to Platte Rivers Networks’ client known to be in its possession,” said the company.