Did hillary have her computer memory cleand
Executive summary
Hillary Clinton’s personal email server and some associated devices were cleared or had data removed; Clinton’s lawyer told the Senate the server’s data were “erased” before turnover to federal authorities [1], and FBI files show administrators deleted an archive and used BleachBit on exported files in late March 2015 [2] [3]. The server operator Platte River Networks said it had no knowledge of the server being wiped [4], and the FBI concluded no charges despite calling Clinton “extremely careless” [5].
1. What “cleaned” means in the record: deletion, wiping, or decommissioning
The public record uses several different technical descriptions. Clinton’s lawyer told the Senate that “emails and all other data stored on her computer server were erased” before federal turn‑over [1]. FBI public statements describe actions such as removing e‑mail software when a server was decommissioned — a step that “didn’t remove the e‑mail content” but changed how the data were stored and indexed [5]. FBI documents and reporting also record that administrators deleted an archive mailbox and used file‑wiping software on exported .PST files in late March 2015 [2] [3].
2. Who the sources say did the wiping and when
FBI notes released in reporting show an administrator believed he deleted the Clinton archive mailbox and used BleachBit to erase exported email files sometime between March 25–31, 2015, after a New York Times story about the server [3]. The FBI’s formal materials released later summarize the timeline of server decommissioning and recovery of deleted emails from devices and backups [2] [5]. Platte River Networks, the firm that managed the server from 2013, publicly said it had “no knowledge of the server being wiped” [4], creating a direct contrast with some FBI notes and press accounts.
3. What investigators actually recovered
The FBI reported investigators were able to read the roughly 30,000 e‑mails Clinton provided to the State Department and also found several thousand work‑related e‑mails that had been deleted over the years, locating some via traces on supporting devices and backups [5]. FBI summaries and reporting do not claim every deleted item was unrecoverable; in fact, the bureau recovered additional work e‑mails beyond the produced set [5] [2].
4. The role of BleachBit and device destruction in public accounts
Multiple outlets and released FBI notes mention that BleachBit—a file‑wiping tool—was used on exported PST files, and a Clinton IT aide described smashing obsolete mobile devices with a hammer as routine destruction [3] [6]. Manufacturer or operator statements and later FBI analysis indicate these were actions by staff handling old devices and exported files, not necessarily a unilateral action by Clinton herself [6] [3]. The software developer BleachBit and critics have framed such wiping as privacy or data‑sanitization tools, while opponents framed the same actions as obstruction or concealment [7] [3].
5. Legal and political outcomes: no indictment, but “extremely careless”
After the FBI’s investigation, Director James Comey announced the bureau would not seek criminal charges; he described Clinton and her aides as “extremely careless” in handling classified information [5]. The bureau later released summaries of Clinton’s interview and its factual findings [2]. Political actors and some congressional investigators have continued to dispute interpretations of the wiping and destruction; for example, recent oversight activity continues to press depositions and inquiries [8].
6. Conflicting narratives and why they matter
Contemporaneous evidence presents competing narratives: sworn statements and FBI notes documenting an administrator’s use of deletion and BleachBit [3] versus Platte River Networks’ denial of awareness that its server was wiped [4]. These tensions feed partisanship: critics portray the actions as intentional destruction of evidence, defenders emphasize routine decommissioning, device turnover, and the recovery of many emails by investigators [6] [5] [2]. The difference between routine sanitization of obsolete devices and deliberate obstruction is central to ongoing political disputes.
7. Limitations in the record and remaining questions
Available sources do not mention a single authoritative forensic report that catalogues every wiped item and definitively attributes each deletion to a named individual; they show a mix of sworn testimony, FBI summaries, and public statements that sometimes contradict [1] [2] [3] [4]. That gap leaves room for differing legal and political characterizations that have persisted since the investigation.
Bottom line: Multiple records show data were deleted and some exported files were wiped with BleachBit in spring 2015, Clinton’s lawyer said the server’s data were erased before turnover [1] [3], the FBI recovered additional deleted emails and ultimately declined to bring charges while calling the handling “extremely careless” [5] [2], and the firm that managed the server said it had no knowledge of a wipe [4].