Clinton questioned by FBI as part of email probe
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Updated 4:48 PM ET, Sat July 2, 2016
Washington (CNN)Hillary Clinton met with the FBI for three and a half hours Saturday as part of the investigation into her use of a private email server while leading the State Department, her campaign said.
The investigation has cast a shadow over her campaign, and news of FBI agents interviewing the former secretary of state could heighten anxiety among Democrats that their nominee might be indicted before November. It also has put the Justice Department in the position of having a major say in how the 2016 vote turns out and serves as a reminder of Clinton's negatives to voters already skeptical of her trustworthiness.
"Secretary Clinton gave a voluntary interview this morning about her email arrangements while she was secretary," Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said in a statement. "She is pleased to have had the opportunity to assist the Department of Justice in bringing this review to a conclusion. Out of respect for the investigative process, she will not comment further on her interview."
An aide said the interview occurred at FBI headquarters in Washington Saturday morning. The FBI declined to comment on the interview.
The meeting means the investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server for official business as secretary of state is coming to an end. The question now becomes how long it will take for the FBI to conclude its probe.
Sources familiar with the investigation had previously told CNN the Justice Department's aim was to wrap up before the Republican and Democratic conventions later this month. The timing is crucial, because if Clinton were to be indicted before the convention, Democrats could perhaps nominate another candidate
Clinton looks at a phone with Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Philip Gordon as they wait in a Munich, Germany, conference room for a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian President in February 2012.
Photos: Hillary Clinton email controversy
Clinton looks at a phone with Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs Philip Gordon as they wait in a Munich, Germany, conference room for a bilateral meeting with the Ukrainian President in February 2012.
Hillary Clinton, while U.S. secretary of state, checks her Blackberry on a military plane in October 2011. Clinton <a rel="nofollow" href="www.cnn.com/2015/03/10/politics/hillary-clinton-email-scandal-press-conference/index.html" target="_blank">said she used a private email account</a> for her official work at the State Department and that she did so out of convenience. But she admitted in retrospect "it would have been better" to use multiple emails.