Documents reveal Clinton told State employees in 2011 not to use personal email due to security concerns
The FBI released documents Friday from its early July interview with Hillary Clinton on her use of a private email server in response to multiple requests by media organizations under the Freedom of Information Act. The interview had been meant to "fill the gaps" on why Clinton decided to use the private server, a senior law enforcement official said.
The documents contain sections that have been redacted to protect information. Clinton was not under oath during the three-hour interview, of which there is no transcript, just an 11-page summary. There are 58 pages of documents in all.
One section of the documents revealed that "when asked about the email chain containing '(C)' portion markings that the State determined to currently contain confidential information, Clinton stated she did not know what the '(C)' meant at the beginning of the paragraphs and speculated it was referring to paragraphs marked in alphabetical order." The FBI investigation also revealed Clinton used 13 mobile phones during her four years serving as secretary of state: "Clinton usually carried a flip phone along with her BlackBerry because it was more comfortable for communication and Clinton was able to use her BlackBerry while talking on the flip phone."
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There are also hints that Clinton was aware of the trouble with using a private email server in office. "On Jan. 23, 2009, Clinton contacted former Secretary of State Colin Powell via email to inquire about his use of BlackBerry while secretary of state … in his email reply, Powell warned Clinton that if it became 'public' that Clinton had a BlackBerry, and she used it to 'do business,' her emails could become 'official record[s] and subject to the law.' Powell further advised Clinton to 'be very careful,'" the documents said. Later, in 2011, Clinton warned all State employees in an email to "avoid conducting State business from personal email accounts due to information security concerns."
FBI Director James Comey said in July that there was not enough evidence that Clinton criminally mishandled classified information with her use of the private server, but he did call her conduct "extremely careless."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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