The State Department has been “investigating” the classified information discovered on Hillary Clinton’s private bathroom email server since roughly the 1970’s by my calculations. (Or at least it seems that way.) But there’s been a significant change in the investigation this week: It ended. This wasn’t for any lack of interest or some roadblock they couldn’t overcome, but because the FBI has taken over the show. (ABC News)

The U.S. Department of State has halted its internal review of Hillary Clinton’s most sensitive emails until the FBI’s own investigation is complete, the State Department announced today.

“We do not want our internal review to complicate or impede [the FBI probe],” spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said. “We are prioritizing the law enforcement investigation.”

[…]

Today the State Department said it is deferring that judgment to the FBI, which is conducting a more comprehensive security review of Clinton’s email. The outcome of that investigation is highly anticipated amid the 2016 election cycle. Clinton has said she is confident that will not happen and that she did not break any laws with her use of a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state.

From Clinton’s perspective this is probably not quite as bad as it sounds. Some of the reporting on this story could lead to the impression that the FBI was busting into the Inspector General’s office, seizing computers and boxes, and sealing the place off with crime scene tape before they left. In reality, there’s been two separate investigations going on for some time now anyway, but the IG is doing it internally and examining procedures and protocol while the FBI needs to find out whether any sensitive information was exposed and if any laws were broken. They obviously take priority, so the IG is simply getting out of the way. Nothing in this decision prevents the IG from going back and picking up on their own study later, but the point may be moot by then.

Still, the increased public awareness of federal law enforcement being involved has some of the main players on edge. And one of those is long time Hillary aide, Huma Abedin. She recently confessed to being terrified of all her communications being under the magnifying glass. (Politico)

Huma Abedin hasn’t freshly read any of her email exchanges with Hillary Clinton that have been released by the State Department, but the longtime Clinton aide said it is “terrifying” to know that the messages are out there.

“It’s something I can’t really think about, but I can’t even imagine what’s in those emails. But I’m sure I would probably be mortified. I have no idea. I haven’t read any of them,” Abedin, who served as one of Clinton’s top aides at State, said in an interview with the podcast “Call Your Girlfriend.”

If Abedin is “terrified” I can’t imagine what demons are chasing Hillary Clinton through her dreams. Thus far Huma has been a loyal foot soldier, defending the boss at every turn. But it sounds like she at least has something of an idea of what might be included in those 22 Top Secret emails and her fingerprints are likely on them too. The final shoe to drop in this investigation would be if the FBI announced that Abedin had agreed to testify in exchange for immunity. If you see that happen, sports fans (and I’m not saying it will). you can finish your beers and head for the stadium exits because the game will be just about over.