Hillary Clinton aide who set up private email server will again refuse to testify

Brett T. | 8:25 PM on June 01, 2016

Last September, former State Department IT staffer Bryan Pagliano, who helped set up and maintain Hillary Clinton’s private email server, appeared before the House Benghazi Committee and asserted his Fifth Amendment right not to testify.

Months later, Clinton appeared on “Face the Nation” and said she was “delighted” to hear that the FBI had since granted Pagliano immunity from prosecution and he had agreed to cooperate. She also repeated her claim that the FBI’s investigation was simply “a security review” and brushed off talk of a possible indictment.

Next week, it will be Judicial Watch’s turn to put Pagliano on the hot seat in the case of Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of State, and it’s reported that he’ll once again clam up.

Former Clinton tech aide Bryan Pagliano plans to take the 5th instead of testifying in email case https://t.co/7l558F6kaU

— Jennifer Epstein (@jeneps) June 1, 2016

BREAKING: Clinton IT adviser Bryan Pagliano to take 5th at deposition next week, wants to bar video of session https://t.co/jtyyZBoW6j #FOIA

— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) June 1, 2016

@politico This is Clinton's definition of transparency

— Baby Hands (@OhNoHillNo) June 1, 2016

@KemberleeKaye #FOIA coward. Answer the questions.

— JimmyCWorks (@JimmyCWorks) June 1, 2016

https://twitter.com/CkSr9c/status/738143105233215489

The FBI granted Pagliano immunity in exchange for his testimony, but again, this is a case brought against the State Department by Judicial Watch. Judicial Watch recently deposed senior Clinton aide Cheryl Mills, whose lawyer continually advised Mills not to answer questions posed to her, including a line of questions about Pagliano.

According to a transcript of the deposition with watchdog group Judicial Watch released on Tuesday, Mills attorney Beth Wilkinson – as well as Obama administration lawyers – objected to the line of questioning about Pagliano, who has emerged as a central figure in the FBI’s ongoing criminal probe of Clinton’s email practices.

“I’m going to instruct her not to answer. It’s a legal question,” Wilkinson responded, when asked by Judicial Watch whether Pagliano was an “agent of the Clintons” when the server was set up.

but clinton has been fully cooperative. Except for destroying evidence, not letting her aides testify, lawyering up, & lying

— Maddow Knows All (@SarcasmCityUSA) June 1, 2016