State Dept. denies being unable to find Clinton aide's emails

A State Department official has denied the agency ever indicated it would not produce emails belonging to Bryan Pagliano, former IT aide to Hillary Clinton, in a court case over his records.

State Department officials said in court filings Monday that they were unable to locate any emails sent to or by Pagliano during Clinton's tenure. The records are being sought by the Republican National Committee in a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

Elizabeth Trudeau, a State Department spokeswoman, said officials searched unsuccessfully for Pagliano's email folder, but noted the search was inconclusive.

"The absence of this email file, however, does not indicate that the Department has no emails sent or received by him," Trudeau said. "In fact, we have previously produced through FOIA and to Congress emails sent and received by Mr. Pagliano during Secretary Clinton's tenure. At no point did the State Department convey to the RNC that we did not intend to produce responsive emails within our possession, consistent with our obligations under the law."

A batch of emails made public by the agency late last year includesat least one message from Pagliano to Clinton in which the former IT aide wished Clinton a happy birthday.