This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-41985863
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Justice Dept weighs inquiry into Clintons and Uranium One | Justice Dept weighs inquiry into Clintons and Uranium One |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The US Department of Justice says it has asked prosecutors to scrutinise the Clintons' charitable foundation and a uranium deal. | The US Department of Justice says it has asked prosecutors to scrutinise the Clintons' charitable foundation and a uranium deal. |
| In a letter, the agency said an inquiry could be launched into the Clinton Foundation and the Uranium One sale. | In a letter, the agency said an inquiry could be launched into the Clinton Foundation and the Uranium One sale. |
| But Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a Senate hearing there is currently no basis for Republican calls to appoint a special counsel to investigate. | But Attorney General Jeff Sessions told a Senate hearing there is currently no basis for Republican calls to appoint a special counsel to investigate. |
| The issue is a longstanding political grievance of President Donald Trump. | The issue is a longstanding political grievance of President Donald Trump. |
| Democrats have called Uranium One a "massive diversion" from the investigations dogging Mr Trump's presidency. | Democrats have called Uranium One a "massive diversion" from the investigations dogging Mr Trump's presidency. |
| His aides are currently the focus of inquiries by a special counsel and congressional committees into whether they colluded with alleged Kremlin attempts to sway last year's US presidential election. | His aides are currently the focus of inquiries by a special counsel and congressional committees into whether they colluded with alleged Kremlin attempts to sway last year's US presidential election. |
| What is Uranium One? | What is Uranium One? |
| Uranium One - a Canadian company that owned about a fifth of US uranium supplies and operated mines in Wyoming and Utah - was acquired in 2010 by Russian state-owned firm Rosatom. | |
| The deal had to be approved by several US government agencies, including the State Department, which was led at the time by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. | The deal had to be approved by several US government agencies, including the State Department, which was led at the time by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. |
| Republicans have charged that the Obama administration approved the deal after Bill Clinton's charitable foundation received a $145m (£110m) donation. | Republicans have charged that the Obama administration approved the deal after Bill Clinton's charitable foundation received a $145m (£110m) donation. |
| Some of those contributions were not publicly disclosed by the Clintons, despite their pledge to publicly identify all donors, the New York Times reports. | Some of those contributions were not publicly disclosed by the Clintons, despite their pledge to publicly identify all donors, the New York Times reports. |
| Mr Clinton was also paid $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Kremlin-linked Russian investment bank that was promoting shares in Uranium One. | Mr Clinton was also paid $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Kremlin-linked Russian investment bank that was promoting shares in Uranium One. |
| Mrs Clinton said in a recent interview with C-SPAN that suggestions of corruption relating to the deal were "baloney" and had been "debunked repeatedly." | Mrs Clinton said in a recent interview with C-SPAN that suggestions of corruption relating to the deal were "baloney" and had been "debunked repeatedly." |
| What do Republicans want? | What do Republicans want? |
| The chairman of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Robert Goodlatte, has written to the Department of Justice recommending a special counsel look into the Uranium One deal. | The chairman of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, Robert Goodlatte, has written to the Department of Justice recommending a special counsel look into the Uranium One deal. |
| A reply from the US attorney general's deputy said he had "directed senior federal prosecutors to evaluate certain issues raised in your letters". | A reply from the US attorney general's deputy said he had "directed senior federal prosecutors to evaluate certain issues raised in your letters". |
| The Department of Justice cited "alleged unlawful dealings related to the Clinton Foundation and other matters". | The Department of Justice cited "alleged unlawful dealings related to the Clinton Foundation and other matters". |
| Mr Sessions told a Senate hearing on Tuesday his department would reach a decision "without political influence, correctly and properly". | |
| Republican lawmakers announced last month they were investigating the Uranium One sale. | Republican lawmakers announced last month they were investigating the Uranium One sale. |
| They launched another inquiry relating to Mrs Clinton's misuse of a personal email server. | They launched another inquiry relating to Mrs Clinton's misuse of a personal email server. |
| Is the Justice Department independent? | Is the Justice Department independent? |
| The president wields significant constitutional authority over the Department of Justice since it belongs to the executive branch of US government. | The president wields significant constitutional authority over the Department of Justice since it belongs to the executive branch of US government. |
| But it has been a US civic tenet ever since the Watergate scandal that the agency should be free from political interference. | But it has been a US civic tenet ever since the Watergate scandal that the agency should be free from political interference. |
| Mr Trump acknowledged this in a radio interview this month, when he said "the saddest thing" was that he was not supposed to meddle with the Justice Department. | Mr Trump acknowledged this in a radio interview this month, when he said "the saddest thing" was that he was not supposed to meddle with the Justice Department. |
| However, the Republican president has also publicly called on his attorney general to open an investigation into Mrs Clinton. | However, the Republican president has also publicly called on his attorney general to open an investigation into Mrs Clinton. |
| He tweeted that America's top prosecutor had "taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes". | He tweeted that America's top prosecutor had "taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes". |
| "So where is the investigation AG?" Mr Trump asked. | "So where is the investigation AG?" Mr Trump asked. |