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FBI Records Vault Springs A Leak? Agency Investigating Own Twitter Account After Incriminating Files On Presidential Candidates Appear On Social Media

By Patrick Frye
Published on: 03:42 PST, Nov 4, 2016

Apparently, one of the FBI’s several official Twitter accounts is under investigation. The agency is investigating the @FBIRecordsVault Twitter account because it suddenly became active after remaining dormant for a year and started posting links to documents that could severely impact the U.S. presidential elections, which are less than a week away.

The FBI is reportedly conducting an internal investigation to find out how a long-dormant Twitter account suddenly sprang to life and started posting a barrage of documents on the presidential candidates and their relatives. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is facing a conundrum because right after the documents were released, the agency issued a statement that insisted the Twitter account followed all FBI procedures.

“By law, FOIA materials that have been requested three or more times are posted electronically to the FBI’s public reading room shortly after they are processed. Per the standard procedure for FOIA, these materials became available for release and were posted automatically and electronically to the FBI’s public reading room in accordance with the law and established procedures.”

The FBI was referring to the Freedom of Information Act and claimed the tweets were part of a public response. The agency added that the tweets were posted “automatically” to the agency’s site and Twitter account, reported the New York Daily News.

The official and verified Twitter account had been inactive since October of 2015. However, on October 30 at 4 a.m., the account released a flood of documents, including one describing Donald Trump’s father Fred Trump as a “philanthropist,” reported Think Progress.

About two days later, the account tweeted links to documents pertaining to President Bill Clinton’s controversial pardon of Marcell David Reich (aka Marc Rich). As one of his last acts in office, Clinton had issued a presidential pardon to Rich. The man, a trader by profession, is believed to have made several illegal deals with Iran while his wife donated to the Democrats.

The tweet, posted on November 1, included details about the Clinton Foundation and the 2001 FBI investigation of Clinton’s pardon of Rich. The deceased fugitive financier, who received the pardon 15 years ago, is the ex-husband of Denise Rich. A songwriter by profession, Denise is believed to have donated $1 million to the Democratic Party and $100,000 to Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign. Marc, on the other hand, was indicted and charged with tax evasion and making illegal oil deals with Iran, reported the Daily Mail.

Thereafter, on Tuesday, the account tweeted a link to “files related to the William J. Clinton Foundation.” Incidentally, the investigation was shuttered in 2005. Before these tweets, which, needless to say, appear to harm Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and seem to be aimed at offering a boost to her Republican rival Donald Trump, the account had posted links to a 47-page document on the email investigations. The documents are pertaining to the investigation by FBI into allegations that “classified information was improperly stored or transmitted on a personal e-mail server she used during her tenure.”

In between the incriminating tweets, several irrelevant tweets that had nothing to do with the presidential candidates, including aerial surveillance footage of the Baltimore protests and documents regarding Serbian-American inventor Nikola Tesla, were also published before the account fell silent once more.

It is quite apparent that the tweets could have a deep impact on the general elections, which are less than a week away. The current law, as well as FBI’s own internal policy, clearly prohibits employees from using the power accorded to them at attempt to influence the general elections and its outcome in any way by using the tools that are under their control. The investigation has been handed over to FBI’s Inspection Division. After the division submits its findings, the Office of Professional Responsibility will be called in for adjudication.

[Featured Image by Mark Wilson/Getty Images]

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