Hillary Clinton e-mail use violated rules, US state department audit finds
US state department found no evidence that Hillary Clinton requested approval to conduct official business via personal e-mail on a private server
Washington: Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton’s use of a private e-mail system while she was secretary of state violated US state department rules, the agency’s Inspector General concluded.
The audit by the state department’s independent investigator found no evidence that she requested guidance or approval to conduct official business via personal e-mail on a private server—and concluded the agency likely wouldn’t have granted the request. The Inspector General also faulted the state department’s handling of electronic records and communications beyond Clinton’s tenure.
“Longstanding, systemic weaknesses related to electronic records and communications have existed within the Office of the Secretary that go well beyond the tenure of any one Secretary of State," the report, which was delivered to Congress Wednesday, said.
The Inspector General’s report adds to Clinton’s political woes as she’s trying to wrap up the Democratic presidential nomination and campaign against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump, who’s used the e-mail controversy as part of his line of attack. Clinton faces a separate FBI investigation and a conservative watchdog group has sued for access to her messages.
Clinton used private e-mail to send or receive about 60,000 messages from 2009 to 2013. She and her aides said about half were work-related and turned over to the state department.
They have said the rest, which they deemed personal, were destroyed. Clinton added that she used the system as a matter of convenience, but said that in hindsight she should have used a government system. Bloomberg
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