At least four classified Hillary Clinton emails had their markings changed to a category that shields the contents from Congress and the public, Fox News reported Tuesday, citing sources.
Citing a congressional source and intelligence source, Fox News reported that the four emails had an initial marking of classified which was later changed to "B5," a designation reserved for deliberations within the Executive Branch.
Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaks to guests gathered for a campaign event on the campus of Case Western Reserve University on August 27, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
A congressional source told the cable-news network that the move had the effect of dropping the emails "down a deep black hole," since such deliberations within the Executive Branch are exempt from public release.
Citing congressional testimony, Fox News also reported that at least one of the lawyers who worked in the department where the markings were changed was a former colleague of Clinton lawyer David Kendall.
There were complaints about changing the markings to "B5" status, according to the Fox News report. Whistleblowers were said to have disagreed with the move, noting it would hide the email contents from the public.
The disagreements were so fierce they ultimately even reached the Under Secretary for Management Patrick Kennedy, Fox News reported.
Clinton has been heavily criticized over the past several months for her use of a private server to conduct official business while she served as secretary of state. Her campaign recently announced, under heavy pressure, that it would hand over the server to the Department of Justice. The FBI is actively investigating whether any laws were broken.
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