Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) called on the State Department to turn over documents related to Hillary Clinton’s top aide Cheryl Mills’ special employment status at the agency in a letter to Secretary John Kerry on Monday.
Grassley also demanded to know why the State Department omitted Mills from a list of "special government employees," or "SGEs," for 2009 that it turned over to the Senate Judiciary Committee last year.
The State Department told the Washington Free Beacon last month that Mills was an "SGE" in 2009, which freed her from some ethics rules restrictions and allowed her to hold outside employment and serve on the Clinton Foundation board.
Grassley said this disclosure "directly contradicts the information that the State Department provided to this Committee."
Grassley’s letter was prompted by a Free Beacon article last month that reported long-time Clinton aide Cheryl Mills had simultaneously worked as State Department chief of staff and as New York University’s general counsel from January to May 2009.
Mills also continued to serve on the board of the Clinton Foundation for over a month after joining the State Department. During this time she was involved in discussions about vetting Bill Clinton’s paid speeches for potential conflicts of interest, according to internal agency emails.
Grassley said in the letter that Mills’ "simultaneous relationship with the State Department, Clinton Foundation and her actions on behalf of President Clinton’s paid speaking engagements raise important questions."
He also noted that "federal law prohibits SGEs and full time employees from participating personally and substantially in matters that have a direct and predictable effect on their financial interests or financial interests of others with whom they have certain relationships."
Grassley called on Kerry to explain why Mills’ special employment status was not disclosed to the committee, whether any steps were taken to prevent ethics law violations, and whether she was recused from any matters while working as an SGE.
The senator also asked why she was designated as an SGE, whether it had an impact on her security clearance, and whether she disclosed her relationship with the Clinton Foundation to the State Department. He called on Kerry to respond by July 20.
Grassley has also made inquiries into Clinton aide Huma Abedin’s prior SGE status at the State Department.