The Arizona reporter who broke the story that U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch was going to meet privately with former President Bill Clinton said FBI agents demanded nearby witnesses to put away cameras and cellphones.
KNXV-TV anchor Christopher Sign sat down with Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly Thursday night to talk about his scoop, which has forced the White House to discuss a possible conflict of interest as Ms. Lynch oversees the Justice Department’s investigation of the secret email server of Mr. Clinton’s wife, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
“She, as a matter of fact, landed on time,” Mr. Sign said of Mrs. Lynch’s arrival in Phoenix. “[Mr. Clinton] and his entourage were running late according to my sources. They then make the decision, they meaning the former president’s team, they wait for her to land. She arrives. Some people step off of her plane. The former president steps into her plane. They then speak for 30 minutes — privately.
“The FBI there, on the tarmac, instructed everybody around, ’No photos. No pictures. No cellphones,’” Mr. Sign said. “He then gets off the plane, gets on his own plane, he departs, she continues on with her planned visit.”
“The O’Reilly Factor” host then asked Mr. Sign why Mr. Clinton was in Arizona, which the reporter couldn’t answer.
“To be honest with you, we have no idea,” Mr. Sign said. “The attorney general, as a matter of fact, said they talked about him playing golf. At this very moment as I’m talking to you, I’ve reached out to several sources, those with intimate knowledge of his movements because they work with these dignitaries when they come into Phoenix. Not one so far has said that he played golf. I’m not saying that he didn’t play golf — I’m just saying that I have yet to confirm.”
Ms. Lynch insists that she and the former president only engaged in friendly chitchat about grandchildren, golf, travel and other topics unrelated to Mrs. Clinton’s possible indictment for mishandling government documents.
The attorney general said Friday that she “fully” expects to accept recommendations from career Justice Department agents in their investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s private email arrangement, The Washington Times reported.
“I fully expect to accept their recommendations,” Ms. Lynch said at the “Aspen Ideas Festival” in Colorado, although she declined to recuse herself from the case.
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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