Remember when Barack Obama promised that his administration would be the most transparent in history?

Well, in the true spirit of that transparency, his former Attorney General Loretta Lynch refused to answer questions put to her by the Congressional probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

Former President Obama’s Attorney General Loretta Lynch met behind closed doors with a congressional Russian election meddling probe on Friday.

Republicans were eager to question her about an infamous tarmac meeting with former President Bill Clinton in June 2016, a meeting which has triggered suspicions about the Obama Department of Justice’s impartiality toward Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton at the height of the election.

But Mrs. Lynch refused to discuss the meeting before the House Intelligence Committee on Friday, according to Fox News.

Mrs. Lynch has been accused of attempting to influence the FBI’s investigation into Mrs. Clinton’s private email use while secretary of state — and both she and Mr. Clinton say the meeting at the Phoenix airport was a chance social encounter.

In June, during highly anticipated testimony, fired FBI Director James Comey told the Senate Intelligence Committee that the Lynch-Clinton tarmac meeting caused him to hold a press conference on Mrs. Clinton’s email case.

The questions Lynch refused to answer were about her own manipulation of the Clinton email investigation. While this technically may not be germane to the Russia probe, her refusal to answer is still rather telling.

On Friday, Fox quoted sources saying the former attorney general refused to answer three queries: whether she ever instructed Mr. Comey to characterize the DOJ’s Clinton email investigation a “matter,” whether she liaised with the White House to hold the tarmac meeting with Mr. Clinton and finally — if she could address any issues related to Mr. Comey’s June testimony. 

Mrs. Lynch reportedly declined to answer any of the three queries.

Past reports have quoted her as saying she found it painful that the tarmac meeting raised questions about the DOJ’s overall integrity and that she harbors regrets that she didn’t stop before the meeting and consider how it would be viewed. (emphasis added)

It is important to note the culture at work here. Under Obama, both related to his administration and related to the 2016 campaign, there was not only a deliberate manipulation of facts and hiding of truth, but a subversion of the institutions of American government to do it. Lynch’s predecessor Eric Holder, for example was held in contempt of Congress for obstructing the investigation into the Fast and Furious scandal.

It’s safe to say that Obama’s Attorneys General were definitely not appointed for their commitment to transparency. Like other Obama appointees, they were there to help Democrats stay in power.

In light of recent revelations, you have to wonder which other institutions were likewise used for partisan gain.