Hillary Clinton’s Camp Gives Explanation For Her Illegal Use Of A Private Email Server


Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s camp has a new explanation for why she used a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State.

“Had Secretary Clinton known of any concerns about her email setup at the time, she would have taken steps to address them. She believed she was following the practices of other Secretaries and senior officials,” John Podesta, chairman of the Clinton presidential campaign, stated in a letter acquired by Buzzfeed.

The Office of the Inspector General is currently investigating the email fiasco. The memo came after the State Department’s inspector general found that Hillary Clinton violated the law by using a home-based private server and a personal email account.

Hillary Clinton reportedly did not inform State Department officials about the email system although she was well-aware that it was part of her duty to do so. The Democratic frontrunner also failed to inform State Department security officials about the hacking attempts on the server, which was kept secret by IT expert Bryan Pagliano.

Podesta also wrote that the former Secretary of State’s use of a private server was a mistake. However, he claimed that former Secretaries of State also used a private server to carry out official business.

The Clinton campaign claims that she was just following what her predecessors had done in the past. However, neither Colin Powell nor Condoleeza Rice used a private email server during their term as Secretary of State, reports said.

Hillary Clinton also admitted that she used the server her husband used, and her personal email account was connected to her Blackberry. Critics believe that by using her Blackberry and her unsecured server for official business, the possible Democratic presidential nominee was putting the nation’s security at risk.

As lawnewz pointed out, the former secretary of state cannot claim she’s ignorant of the law. It said there is only one possible explanation for her actions – she is protecting her personal interests.

Hillary Clinton continued to defend herself even after the inspector general’s report came out. She also gave misleading statements regarding the scandal. The presidential contender insisted her use of a private email was allowed, but as the report revealed, it was not.

Even after she said she turned over 30,000 emails, the inspector general found no emails sent and received during her first few months as Secretary of State. The rest of the emails were said to be personal, Hillary Clinton claimed. Authorities also found no trace of 19 emails exchanged between her and former U.S. Military General David Petraeus.

The email scandal is also the subject of an ongoing FBI investigation. The probe is said to be nearing conclusion, and critics say the former Secretary of State could be indicted if she is found guilty. The bureau is hoping to interview the Democratic presidential frontrunner soon. There is no specific date for the interview yet, but FBI officials have already interviewed some of her trusted aides including longtime adviser Huma Abedin.

Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton has not yet responded to interview invitations by the State Department’s inspector general even though she promised to cooperate with the investigation.

This is not the first time Hillary Clinton has found herself in the midst of an email controversy. The former First Lady had also tried to conceal sensitive White House emails known as “Project X.”

Back in 1999, over 1 million subpoenaed emails were allegedly lost due to a glitch in a computer server. During that time, officials were investigating numerous scandals involving Hillary Clinton.

“This Clinton email scandal is nothing new,” Judicial Watch president Tom Fitton told the New York Post. “There were previous efforts to hide emails in the Clinton White House.”

[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]

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