Republicans in Congress have subpoenaed three technology companies that declined to hand over documents about former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server.
On Monday, Datto, SECNAP Network Security and Platte River Networks received subpoenas from U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican.
Smith is demanding documents from the companies as two congressional committees from the House and Senate investigate the Democratic presidential nominee’s use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.
All three companies either sold products used in Clinton’s email server or were hired to maintain it, Smith said in the subpoenas. For example, Datto provided an online backup system that eventually began storing Clinton’s emails off site.
A senate committee sent a letter to Datto last October requesting a long list of materials, including any email data that the company might have backed up.
Datto declined the request, saying its client had never granted the consent it needed to hand over the information.
SECNAP, which provided a tool to monitor hacking threats to Clinton’s server, received a similar request the same month. Lawmakers demanded details of any cyberattacks that had targeted Clinton's private emails. SECNAP also cited a lack consent from its client and declined the request.
Republicans have continued to hammer Clinton over the private email server controversy even after the FBI concluded its own investigation last month.
Although the FBI said Clinton was “extremely careless” in the way she mishandled classified information over the server, it did not recommend that charges be brought against her.
Still, Congressional Republicans continue to demand more information. Last week, they also obtained classified records of an FBI interview with Clinton about her email use.
Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican from Wisconsin, said on Monday that he supported Smith’s subpoena. He called Clinton’s private email server use “dangerously reckless.”
“I hope the information we will obtain will inform policy changes that can prevent similar misconduct in the future,” he said in a statement.
It's unclear whether the three companies will hand over the information or risk being held in contempt. Platte River Networks declined to comment on Monday, and both Datto and SECNAP didn’t immediately respond.
Both Datto and Platte River Networks reportedly cooperated with the FBI during its investigation. This included handing over data related to Clinton's email server.
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