WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the U.S. House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, today announced plans to hold the company that set up and maintained former Secretary Clinton’s private server, Platte River Networks, in contempt of Congress.
“Platte River Networks has unfortunately chosen to intentionally obstruct and delay my Committee’s investigation,” said Smith. “I’ve determined that Platte River Networks is in contempt of Congress and I plan to seek a Committee vote as required by the rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. At the direction of former Secretary Clinton, Platte River Networks has continuously refused to provide any information. The American people have a right to know, what, if any, steps former Secretary Clinton took to secure her communications with the president and others in government. She and others are entrusted to protect our nation’s secrets and not jeopardize national security. My Committee wants the truth, Americans deserve the truth, and the Constitution requires that we seek the truth.”
At today’s press conference, Rep. Smith reiterated the need to obtain materials in Platte River’s possession and outlined the obstruction the Committee has faced from Platte River in obtaining their documents and communications pertaining to the security of the private server:
- To date, the Committee has not received any documents or materials from Platte River Networks responsive to Chairman Smith’s request despite issuing a subpoena after exhaustive efforts to accommodate Platte River.
- The two other companies involved in backing up and securing the Clinton server provided documents containing communications in Platte River’s possession that are clearly responsive to the Committee’s subpoena.
- The Clintons are quarterbacking Platte River’s response to the Committee’s subpoena, dictating whether the company can produce materials that are under subpoena.
- The Clintons’ role in actively obstructing the Committee’s investigation shows just how far they will go to shield information about the security of Secretary Clinton’s unique and unprecedented server arrangement from coming to light.
- The Committee will continue to work to get to the truth of what steps, if any, former Secretary Clinton took to protect our nation’s most precious secrets.
Today’s press conference can be viewed here.
Background
Smith issued subpoenas to the three companies who maintain former Secretary Clinton’s private server with the support of U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, after the companies failed to comply with the Science Committee’s voluntary request for documents and interviews. Smith is seeking information critical to understanding Secretary Clinton’s private server and informing policy changes in how to prevent similar email arrangements in the future.
Smith’s subpoenas built on July 12 bicameral efforts to request information and earlier investigations initiated separately by Chairman Smith and Chairman Johnson.
The Science Committee has jurisdiction over the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which sets standards pursuant to the Federal Information Security Modernization Act of 2014 (FISMA). The materials subpoenaed by the Science Committee center exactly around the Committee’s jurisdiction over cybersecurity standards in FISMA.