US Congressional Committees Issue Subpoenas to Clinton Email Server Companies

Republican Congressman Lamar Smith said that two US Congressional Committees have issued subpoenas to three companies that worked on Hillary Clinton's private email server during her tenure as secretary of state.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Two US Congressional Committees have issued subpoenas to three companies that worked on Hillary Clinton's private email server during her tenure as secretary of state, Republican Congressman Lamar Smith said in a press release.

"Lamar Smith (R-Texas), chairman of the US House Science, Space, and Technology Committee issued subpoenas today with the support of US Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the US Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, to three companies that provided software and services… that played a role in maintaining her private email server," the release stated on Monday.

The subpoenas were issued after Smith and Johnson sent to the companies a request for information on July 12.

Smith noted in the release that the purpose of the subpoenas is to "obtain the information necessary to answer questions about the structure and security of the email system," and if protection of information on the server was up to the standards of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

The ranking member on the House Committee, Democrat Eddie Johnson, released a statement in response to the subpoenas which noted his outrage, claiming the chairman is abusing the Committee's investigatory power to do the bidding of the Trump campaign.

In July, FBI Director James Comey testified before Congress about Clinton's use of a private email server, and while he described it as "extremely careless," he noted the behavior did not warrant criminal charges.