The FBI released 129 pages of documents related to an investigation closed without charges in 2005 into President Bill Clinton’s pardon of Marc Rich, who had been married to a wealthy Democratic donor.
It comes as Director James Comey faces fire from Democrats and even some Republicans for releasing information about his renewed investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of e-mail
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said it automatically posts materials online when documents have been requested three or more times.
The bureau receives thousands of information requests annually and processes them on a “first in, first out” basis, according to a statement.
The investigation stemmed from one of several pardons Clinton made on the last day of his presidency in 2001, that of financier and international fugitive Marc Rich, whose ex-wife Denise had given to the Democratic National Committee and the entity that would later become the Clinton Foundation.
Comey’s Role
While the files may seem dated, they invoke figures beyond the Clintons who went on to play key roles in official Washington -- including Comey.
He served as prosecutor in charge of a legal case against Rich from 1987 to 1993.
As the U.S. attorney in Manhattan in 2002, Comey took over a criminal investigation of Clinton’s pardons. “I was stunned” at the Rich pardon, Comey wrote in a letter to lawmakers in 2008.
