Loretta Lynch faces questions at last over notorious tarmac meeting with Bill Clinton while she decided Hillary's fate - but Hill hearing is behind closed doors

  • President Obama's Attorney General Loretta Lynch met with members of the House Intelligence Committee on Friday
  • The House Intelligence Committee is one of a handful of committees on the Hill looking into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election
  • Lynch, however, was likely asked about her tarmac meeting with Bill Clinton, which happened amid the FBI's investigation into HIllary Clinton's emails

President Obama's Attorney General Loretta Lynch met with members of the House Intelligence Committee Friday, Fox News reported

Lynch was on the Hill to discuss Russian meddling in the election but sources told Fox that the ex-attorney general was likely queried about her infamous tarmac meeting with former President Bill Clinton. 

That gathering cast a cloud over the executive branch's investigation into Hillary Clinton's emails and compelled FBI Director James Comey to hold an unprecedented presser, to say the FBI recommended that the former secretary of state not be charged. 

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Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch was seen on Capitol Hill Friday. She was talking to members of the House Intelligence Committee, which is one of the committees investigating Russia's role in the 2016 election 

Former Attorney General Loretta Lynch was seen on Capitol Hill Friday. She was talking to members of the House Intelligence Committee, which is one of the committees investigating Russia's role in the 2016 election 

Loretta Lynch, spotted on Capitol Hill, was also likely asked about a meeting she had with Bill Clinton on an airport tarmac amid the Justice Department's investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server 

Loretta Lynch, spotted on Capitol Hill, was also likely asked about a meeting she had with Bill Clinton on an airport tarmac amid the Justice Department's investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server 

Loretta Lynch was likely asked about her infamous meeting on a tarmac with former President Bill Clinton, which occurred while the Justice Department was still investigating his wife's emails

Loretta Lynch was likely asked about her infamous meeting on a tarmac with former President Bill Clinton, which occurred while the Justice Department was still investigating his wife's emails

Later-fired FBI Director James Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee in June 2017 explaining that he decided to hold a press conference exonerating Hillary Clinton because of the cloud of suspicion raised by the tarmac meeting

Fired FBI Director James Comey (pictured) testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee in June explaining that he decided to hold a press conference on the Hillary Clinton email case because of Attorney General Loretta Lynch's tarmac meeting with Bill Clinton 

Attorney General Loretta Lynch headed the investigation into Hillary Clinton's (pictures) emails through 2016. There were reportedly faked emails from the Russians that suggested Lynch, a fellow Democrat, was trying to bury the probe 

Attorney General Loretta Lynch headed the investigation into Hillary Clinton's (pictures) emails through 2016. There were reportedly faked emails from the Russians that suggested Lynch, a fellow Democrat, was trying to bury the probe 

Lynch is supposed to speak to Congressional investigators on the Senate side as well.  

In June, when Comey publicly sat before the Senate Intelligence Committee, to testify about his firing by President Trump, which he said was because of the FBI's Russia probe, the ex-FBI leader also explained how Lynch's behavior compelled him to make certain decisions in the handling of the Clinton probe.

The tarmac meeting was the final straw. 

Comey said he decided he needed to hold a press conference and announce that the FBI would recommend to the Justice Department that no charges be filed to 'protect the credibility of the investigation.' 

Prior to that, he was bothered when Lynch told him to call the Clinton investigation a 'matter' instead of an actual criminal probe, which it was.

'At one point, the attorney general had directed me not to call it an investigation but instead to call it a matter, which confused me and concerned me,' Comey testified. 'That was one of the bricks in the load that led me to conclude I have to step away from the department if we're to close this case credibly.' 

At the press conference, Comey received criticism from Democrats for saying Clinton was 'extremely careless' in her handling of her emails while secretary of state, though noted his agency wasn't recommending she be charged with a crime.

During his testimony, Comey denied that he made his decision to hold the press conference because he feared emails reportedly faked by the Russians would come out. 

In May, CNN reported that faked emails existed between Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and a political operative  that suggested Lynch would make the FBI's investigation into Clinton go away.

The Senate Judiciary Committee has asked Lynch to disclose any conversations she might have had with the Clinton campaign or the DNC about the FBI's investigation.  

Lynch will be the latest Obama administration official to talk to lawmakers looking into Russia's meddling in the 2016 election and if there was any collusion with President Trump's campaign.

In the past she's said she's regretted not thinking about the optics when meeting with President Clinton on that tarmac in Phoenix. 

Last December she called it 'painful' that it raised questions about the integrity of the Justice Department, CNN reported

On the Hill Friday, the ex-attorney general refused to answer questions, said Fox. 

The network said she ignored three queries: whether she instructed Comey to call the Clinton email investigation a 'matter,' whether she sought permission from the White House to hold the tarmac meeting with Bill Clinton and finally, if she was able to address any parts of Comey's testimony from June. 

Lynch opted to not answer any of the three.