WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stored classified information on her personal server, potentially compromising sensitive government information, according to two government inspector generals.
WASHINGTON — Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stored classified information on her personal server, potentially compromising sensitive government information, according to two government inspector generals.
Clinton has repeatedly denied she ever sent classified information, but an inspector general’s report indicates that at least four emails she sent or received included information that was classified.
It’s unclear whether Clinton knew that the information was classified, though her critics were quick to accuse her of being careless with national secrets.
“This classified information should have never been transmitted via an unclassified personal system,” the inspectors general of the intelligence community and Department of State said in a statement released late Friday.
The news could further complicate Clinton’s run for president. Recent polls have already showed that she has a problem with people believing she is not honest and trustworthy.
The inspectors general referred the matter to FBI and counterintelligence officials at the State Department and intelligence agencies.
In referring the matter to the FBI, Inspector General I. Charles McCullough of the intelligence community noted that Clinton’s attorney, David Kendall, has a flash drive containing all the State Department emails from her personal computer server.
As a result, Kendall also is in possession of classified information. It was not clear whether Kendall has a security clearance and, if not, whether the drive is being turned over to federal officials. Kendall did not respond to phone and email messages.
The email issue overshadowed Clinton’s economic policy speech in New York Friday. Her campaign issues multiple statements, saying she never sent classified information. The campaign did not respond to a request for comment late Friday.
The New York Times first reported the inspector general’s report, although it said the officials asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into whether sensitive government information was mishandled in connection with Clinton’s email. In fact, it was a counterintelligence referral, not a criminal referral.
Clinton has turned over 30,490 work emails to the State Department in response to a request from the agency, but said she deleted another 31,830 personal emails that she said were about her daughter’s wedding, her mother’s funeral and yoga routines, among other things.
Clinton has said she regrets using a private email account for business while she was secretary of state, and said she did so only as a matter of “convenience.”
“I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. There is no classified material,” Clinton said in March.