FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

News

Donald Trump backs away from promise to prosecute Hillary Clinton

One of the chants heard most often at President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign rallies this year has been “Lock her up!” in reference to prosecuting Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server while Secretary of State.

But now that Trump is president-elect, he is apparently changing his tune.

On Tuesday, a source close to the Trump camp told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that his new administration will not pursue further investigations into whether Clinton mishandled classified documents by passing them through her private email server or allegations against the Clinton Foundation. Trump’s former campaign manager Kellyanne Conway confirmed that much during an interview later on the show.

Advertisement

“I think he’s thinking about many different things as he prepares to become president of the United States and things that sound like the campaign aren’t among them,” Conway said.

The news comes just over a week after Trump said he was “going to think about” pursuing an investigation during an interview with “60 Minutes.”

“I don’t wanna hurt them. They’re good people,” Trump told 60 Minutes’ interviewer Lesley Stahl, referring to the Clintons.

MSNBC’s source said Trump apparently felt the Clintons had “been through enough.”

The FBI spent a year investigating whether Clinton and her aides mishandled classified information that passed through her private email server when she was Secretary of State. The probe concluded in July with a recommendation the Department of Justice not to bring charges against her.

During the campaign, Trump repeatedly said Clinton’s use of her private email server was illegal and threatened to imprison her once he was in office.

Trump threatened to “jail” his rival during the second presidential debate in October.

“If I win I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation – there has never been so many lies and so much deception,” he said.

Follow Olivia Becker on Twitter: @oliviaLbecker