Democratic Presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, who oversaw the State Department during the Benghazi attacks that led to the deaths of four Americans, may soon face Federal charges for tampering with and destroying evidence.

According to retired State Department whistle blower Raymond Maxwell, he caught Clinton’s Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff shredding documents in a State Department basement. When he asked the aids, who worked directly for then-Secretary Clinton, what they were doing he says they were told to remove any documents that could be politically damaging. The remaining documents were then turned over to an independent committee that was investigating the attacks.

Though Bill and Hillary Clinton have survived many a scandal, it seems that this one may be quite serious considering her direct subordinates were ordered to destroy, shred and/or remove key documents that could prove damaging to the Obama Administration or Clinton’s Presidential aspirations.

If Maxwell’s claims can be proven or verified by other witnesses or participants Clinton could potentially face federal charges for tampering with evidence and destruction of official documents.

Maxwell was one of four State Department officials disciplined in the wake of the 2012 Benghazi attack, in which four Americans were killed. He was put on administrative leave, and has spoken out before about how he felt he was scapegoated.

Maxwell was eventually cleared, but retired last year.

According to The Daily Signal report, Maxwell walked in on the weekend session on a Sunday afternoon after hearing about it. He reportedly claims he saw stacks of documents when he arrived as well as an office director who worked for him — but who hadn’t told him about the assignment.

Maxwell reportedly claimed she told him they were instructed to go through the stacks and pull out items that could put anybody in the NEA “front office” or seventh floor — where the secretary’s office is — in a “bad light.”

Maxwell said he “didn’t feel good about it” and left a short time later.

Source: Fox News via Market Ticker

According to The Daily Signal, Maxwell’s office director was also involved in the liquidation.

“I asked her, ‘But isn’t that unethical?’ She responded, ‘Ray, those are our orders.’ ”

Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) and other lawmakers privately interviewed Maxwell last year :

“What they were looking for is anything that made them look bad. That’s the way it was described to us,” Chaffetz said.

According to Chaffetz’ account of his interview with Maxwell, as well as the Daily Signal report by Sharyl Attkisson, Maxwell said those scrubbing the documents were looking for information that would cast Clinton and senior leaders in a “bad light.”

…

Chaffetz said that he was told then-Clinton Chief of Staff Cheryl Mills and Deputy Chief of Staff Jake Sullivan were there and overseeing the operation.

“For Hillary Clinton’s personal chief of staff and deputy chief of staff to be making a concerted effort to hide documents, make sure that the Accountability Review Board and Congress did not see those documents is unbelievable and absolutely wrong,” Chaffetz said.

Requests for comment to representatives for Clinton, Sullivan and Mills have not yet been returned.

Those requests for comment will not be returned, or they will be met with statements such as “I don’t recall” or outright denials. There is a Presidential election at stake and Hillary Clinton will do anything she can to ensure her place in history.

A House Select Committee open hearing into the events of Benghazi will begin on Wednesday.

Will Ray Maxwell be allowed to testify before the committee? Will the committee call State Department officials and directors who were reportedly at the document session to testify under oath about Maxwell’s claims?

If not, then we know what the plan is for 2016.

If Hillary Clinton is held to account, it will be a surprising turn of events in a country where political cover-ups, often involving the Clintons, have trumped transparency for decades.

Watch: Hillary Clinton: “What Difference Does It Make?”