Recent intelligence from the FBI suggests that groups of elite individuals manipulate justice procedures and may undermine any possibility of a legitimate presidential election. CNBC reported on Monday, October 17, that the FBI released 100 pages of summaries from their investigation of Hillary Clinton's email scandal. The investigation reveals Watergate-style underhanded deals and Deep Throat informants. The report shows that Clinton's case was not subject to an ordinary court proceeding typical of any state official charged with mishandling classified information. Rather, the FBI interview summary revealed that her case was supervised by "a powerful group of very high-ranking STATE officials that some referred to as 'The 7th Floor Group' or 'The Shadow Government.'" This cabal met weekly to determine the best course of action for the Freedom of Information Act requests and Congressional records.

Apparently the Shadow Government did not have 100% control. It pushed for the release of a certain Clinton document to be handled in one big chunk rather than the standard piece by piece examination. The FBI said the agency in charge of the document provided a rolling release. This small lapse in power was effectively inconsequential.

The FBI case summary included an interview stating that Undersecretary of State Patrick Kennedy offered a quid pro quo to FBI officials in return for declassifying certain emails from Clinton's server. Their unclassified status would reflect more favorably on Clinton's use of her private server. State Department Deputy Spokesperson Mark Toner partially denied this report, saying, "This allegation is inaccurate and does not align with the facts." He then admitted, "To be clear: the State Department did upgrade the document at the request of the FBI," arguing that "Classification is an art, not a science." Undersecretary Kennedy was conveniently present during the Shadow Government's meetings, along with former attorneys from Williams and Connolly LLP, the law firm representing Clinton in the investigation. The strings are being pulled. But where is the puppet master to play the villain?

As it turns out, there may be something more sinister than the secret meetings of cigar-smoking state officials and money barons. The Boston Globe article titled, "Vote All You Want. The Secret Government Won't Change," questions why major controversial policies remain intact no matter which party dominates the political machine. Boston Globe turned to Michael J. Glennon, a political scientist from Tufts University, for the answer. As a consultant to the State Department, congressional committees, and legal counsel to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, he began to understand how bureaucracy replaces democracy from top to bottom.

In fact, Glennon's new book, “National Security and Double Government,” shows why the idea of citizens affecting policy through electing representatives has become obsolete in the United States. Elected officials tend to defer to special interest groups and hyperbolic specialists rather than the will of the voters. "Many of the more controversial policies, from the mining of Nicaragua’s harbors to the NSA surveillance program, originated within the bureaucracy," Glennon told Boston Globe. "John Kerry was not exaggerating when he said that some of those programs are 'on autopilot.'"

This autopilot scenario is a major reason why there is no distinct villain visible to the public eye. Glennon points out that most people "believe that when they vote for a president or member of Congress or succeed in bringing a case before the courts, that policy is going to change." In reality, even the President cannot switch to manual. Glennon cites how President Obama campaigned to bring home our troops, but instead was forced by the military autopilot to deploy well over 60,000 more troops.

This is depressing news for voters. It seems that no matter how much the public supports its dueling politicians with votes and donations, those politicians are inevitably at the mercy of the system. Through the Shadow Government of aristocratic special interest and the unwavering Double Government of a militaristic bureaucracy, the integrity of the United States presidential election has died.

Our right as voters now extends to healing the wounds of ignorance and indifference of our fellow citizens.