Group Wants Inquiry Into Clinton Son-in-Law's Email

Hillary Clinton's newest email headache involves her son-in-law. A watchdog group backed by conservative donors is calling for an investigation into whether Clinton gave preferential treatment as secretary of state to a well-connected mining investor, reports Time. The investor had reached out to Marc Mezvinsky, Chelsea Clinton’s husband, for help with a deep-sea mining company called Neptune Minerals. "Hey bud," wrote Harry Siklas in 2012. "I need a contact in Hillary’s office: someone my friend Josh (and I perhaps) can reach out via email or phone to discuss mining and the current legal issues and regulations." The email was forwarded to Clinton, who in turn forwarded it to a State Department official three months later, reports AP.

"Could you have someone follow up on this request which was forwarded to me?" Clinton asked Deputy Secretary of State Thomas Nides. "I'll get on it," Nides replied. Both stories point out that there's no evidence Siklas got any meetings or special help, but the Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust says the emails show a too-cozy connection. "It appears that then Secretary Hillary Clinton gave a private company special access to the State Department based upon the company’s relationships with Secretary Clinton’s family members and donors to the Clinton Foundation," the group says in a complaint obtained by Time. Mezvinsky once worked at Goldman Sachs—which has been a big source of donations to Clinton—at the same time as Siklas. "We request a full investigation into these communications and a determination of whether any laws were broken," says FACT. (More Hillary Clinton stories.)