Vault 7: Hillary Clinton Investigation - Sidney Blumenthal Interview Notes
TL;DR -- Interview notes with Hillary Clinton ally and former White House Advisor Sidney Blumenthal. Mr. Blumenthal was a central figure in the investigations around Hillary Clintons email server. For a fun video related to Blumenthal, watch Trey Gowdy apply mental Judo on Hillary Clinton below.
For items that were redacted, I added the margin notes identifying authority/purpose of the redaction.
/pg 5/
FBI Info
1/7/2016 9:30A S. Blumenthal
-Friend of HRC
-Informal political advisor, longtime friend
-send emails of info useful, helpful, interesting topics
-no set schedule
-not paid for advisory services
-Clinton Foundation
-- Duties fmr president Clinton's legacy
-- some communications
-- [redacted] @ foundation (right margin: "b6 b7c")
-Tab1-email re: Clinton Foundation - HRC not involved
-SB somewhat involved w/ Clinton Global Institute (CGI)
-Does not recall what HRC role was in defining SB role @ Clinton Foundation
-Decades-long relationship w/ HRC
-Does not recall specific conv. w/ HRC regarding informal advisory role
-Never tasked by HRC No recollection of sending emails before Sec. of State
-Tyler - career CIA Europe chief, CoS in several locations
-- out of CIA when SB spoke with him
-- [redacted] (right margin: "b1")
-- [redacted] (left margin: "?")
-- caveats directly from TD
-- no attempts to validate info
-- TD understood info forward to HRC
/pg 6/
-TD had business w/ large corporate contracts (NFI)
-TD felt info was useful and helpful to USG
-- knew SB could get info to Sec. State
-TD trying to put together humanitarian aid project for which SB sold receive a finderse fee
-- Field hospitals and humanitarian aid to Libyan refugees
-- Since SB involved in initial idea, would receive finders fee if anything, Nothing happened
[redacted] (right margin: "b6 b7c")
-- can't recall when met. Retired [illegible] a source
-- doesn't know where he would get info
-- friend for years
[redacted] (right margin: "b6 b7c")
-- journalist involved international education
-- friend for decades
-Gary Bernstein (ref CIA)
-- met through Larry Johnson (fmr CIA)
-- wanted SB to hear GB story
-- relayed story in book Jawbreaker about Afghanistan
-No one ever mentioned info sensitive or classified
-- Never said they had sources @ CIA
-- Did not ask if info classified
-[redacted] (illegible) [redacted] (*right margin: "b6 b7c")
-- met when counsel to [redacted] in 1980s
/pg 7/
-Bill Murray (former CoS)
-- friend of TD
-Confidential markings in email went(?) personal
-from SB. TD would pass info that he had
-Often, but not always, forwarded TD emails/info
-[redacted] (fmr. [redacted] Brown/Blair admin) (right margin: "b6 b7c")
-- old friend
-- info on British politics/personalities
-[redacted] (right margin: "b6 b7c")
-- [redacted]/provided info about Assad reg.
-- met through [redacted]
-- [redacted] Assad personally and others in govt
-[redacted] (*right margin: "b6 b7c")
-- [redacted]
-- provide info he "picked up"
-- sometimes knew info to HRC/Sec. State
-No concerns about sensitivity
-Held clearance when assistant to President Clinton (1997 Jan 2001)
-Had quick briefing re: clearances
-Did not think any info classified
-No recollection of (illegible)
/pg 8/
-No recollection of considering info as sensitive
-needed to be conveyed via means other than email
-believed individuals providing info acting in good faith
-- no means to validate/verify info provided
-never encountered info considered classified
-emailed [email protected] address
-after SB tracked, HRC changed email address, so SB sent to that
-never sent to HRC state.gov address
-no recollection of sending emails to HRC staff
-viewed info provided as relevant to role as Secretary of State
-Never thought about HRC using a non-government account
-- no discussions(?) other than that email account(?) is political(?)