Clinton questioned by FBI as part of email probe

Hillary Clinton met with the FBI for three and a half hours Saturday as part of the investigation into her use of a private email server while leading the State Department, her campaign said.

"Secretary Clinton gave a voluntary interview this morning about her email arrangements while she was secretary," Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said in a statement. "She is pleased to have had the opportunity to assist the Department of Justice in bringing this review to a conclusion."

Clinton told MSNBC's Chuck Todd Saturday evening that the interview was something "I had been eager to do."

An aide said the interview occurred at FBI headquarters in Washington Saturday morning. The FBI declined to comment.

The meeting signals the investigation is coming to an end, and sources tell CNN the expectation is Clinton will not face charges.

Still, the probe has cast a shadow over Clinton's campaign, and news of FBI agents interviewing the former secretary of state gave Republicans an opportunity to pounce after Clinton has spent weeks at the top of most polls. It has also put the Justice Department in the position of having a major impact on the 2016 race -- a role made even more awkward this week by an unplanned meeting between former President Bill Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch that raised questions about the impartiality of the probe.

The question now becomes how long it will take for the FBI to conclude its probe.

Within the next two weeks or so, the expectation is there will be an announcement of no charges being brought against Clinton so long as no evidence of wrongdoing emerges from her interview with the FBI, sources familiar with the investigation told CNN. CNN has previously reported no charges were expected to be brought against Clinton because the investigators had not found evidence to warrant charges, according to multiple law enforcement officials. A Democrat close to Clinton said Saturday the campaign believes the FBI will announce its decision before the conventions.

Sources familiar with the investigation had previously told CNN the Justice Department's aim was to wrap up before the Republican and Democratic conventions later this month. The timing is crucial, because if Clinton were to be indicted before the convention, Democrats could perhaps nominate another candidate.

Asked about reports that she is unlikely to face charges, Clinton told Todd, "I am not going to comment on the process. I have no knowledge of any timelines. This is entirely up to the department."

Presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump said it was "impossible for the FBI not to recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton."

"It is impossible for the FBI not to recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton. What she did was wrong! What Bill did was stupid!" Trump tweeted, referring to the former president's meeting with Lynch.

News Courtesy: www.cnn.com