FBI agents have been asked to explain evidence regarding the probe into a deal that gave a Russian company control of 20 percent of US uranium and involved Hillary Clinton.
Justice Department prosecutors have been asking the agents to describe the results of the now dormant investigation in recent weeks. The agents have also been asked if there was any inappropriate effort to stop any prosecution from taking place, law enforcement sources told NBC News.
A source told the news outlet that there were allegations of corruption regarding the Uranium One deal. However, no charges have been filed.
The NBC report comes after Attorney General Jeff Sessions directed federal prosecutors last month to "evaluate certain issues" surrounding Clinton's alleged corrupt role in the Uranium One deal. Assistant Attorney General for Legislative Affairs Stephen Boyd wrote a letter to House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), in which Boyd said that Sessions had "directed senior federal prosecutors to evaluate certain issues raised in your letters."
The letters referenced by Boyd were written by Goodlatte and dated July 27 and September 26. They included requests by him and other committee members for a special counsel to be appointed to investigate certain matters, some of which involved Clinton, Fox News reported at the time.
The 2010 Uranium One deal was approved by Clinton when she served as secretary of state in President Barack Obama's administration. The deal involved selling part of a Canadian-based mining company to Rosatom, resulting in the firm acquiring control over 20 percent of America's uranium supply. Uranium One has mining stakes in the United States.
Clinton's critics, including current US President Donald Trump, have claimed – without providing evidence – that Russian interests sought to donate to the Clinton Foundation in exchange for the former secretary of state's support in the deal. Trump claims Clinton was "paid a fortune" for her role in helping the sale go through. Clinton has slammed such accusations as "baloney," noting that there has been "no credible evidence [presented] by anyone.”
The State Department was one of nine agencies that approved the deal, and Clinton says she was not involved in negotiations and had no part in the decision.
Meanwhile, defenders of the deal say the sale wasn't controversial, as Russia doesn't have a license to export uranium outside of the United States. They also point to the fact that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission found that the sale would not pose a risk to national security.