Clinton on emails: I should have used government account

[webfact]

Clinton on emails: I should have used government account
By KEN THOMAS and JULIE PACE

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Confronting a growing political furor, Hillary Rodham Clinton conceded Tuesday it was a mistake to exclusively use private email as secretary of state, but she defiantly rejected accusations that she created a security risk or violated the law. She also defended getting rid of tens of thousands of personal emails.

"I fully complied with every rule I was governed by," Clinton said in a 20-minute news conference that marked her first comments on the controversy.

Clinton's acknowledgement that she deleted emails she described as personal in nature is likely to fuel further criticism from Republicans who see the matter as harmful to the former secretary of state's all-but-certain presidential campaign. Because Clinton's emails were run off a personal server that she does not intend to turn over to the government, there is no way to independently verify the content of the discarded emails.

Clinton said she had exchanged about 60,000 emails in her four years as President Barack Obama's secretary of state. Half were work-related and none contained classified information, she said.

The controversy has presented a major test for Clinton and upended her careful blueprint for the rollout of her campaign. The clear front-runner for the Democratic nomination, Clinton had planned to spend March touting her work on women's issues and giving a handful of paid speeches before announcing her candidacy in early April.

Instead, she found herself standing before dozens of reporters at the United Nations addressing a matter that has revived questions of ethics and secrecy that have long trailed Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. Her appearance came after her previously scheduled speech on women's rights at the UN.

Before Tuesday's news conference, Clinton's only comment on the email disclosures had been a late-night tweet last week saying she wanted the State Department to make her emails public. Her decision to weigh in further came as Democratic allies began publicly pushing her to do so.

Asked whether the email disclosures would affect her presidential ambitions, Clinton said, "I trust the American people to make their decisions about political and public matters."

The Republican Party's leading presidential prospects had no immediate response to Clinton's explanations. But in a signal that the issue was unlikely to fade soon, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus blasted Clinton's comments as "completely disingenuous."

"No one but Hillary Clinton knows if she handed over every relevant email," Priebus said.

Clinton's comments also appeared unlikely to quell efforts by GOP lawmakers to use the matter to bolster their investigation into the deaths of four Americans at a U.S. facility in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. Following the news conference, Rep. Trey Gowdy, the South Carolina Republican leading the committee, said he planned to call her to testify at least twice.

A central question for Clinton over the past week has been why she chose not to use government email if she wasn't trying to skirt federal rules that require officials' communications to be archived.

She described her use of personal email as a matter of "convenience" and a way to avoid carrying two devices. She said that didn't appear to be an issue at the time, but that in hindsight, it would have been "smarter" to use a government account as well as her personal one.

Last month, Clinton told an audience in Silicon Valley that she uses multiple electronic devices.

"I have an iPad, a mini-iPad, an iPhone and a BlackBerry," Clinton said.

The email controversy stems from reports last week that Clinton had exclusively used both a private email address and a private server while at the State Department.

Clinton said repeatedly Tuesday that she had taken "unprecedented steps" to provide the State Department her work-related communications. She described the missing personal emails as ones she wrote about her daughter's wedding, her mother's funeral, her yoga routine and other similar matters.

"No one wants their personal emails made public, and I think most people understand that and respect privacy," she said.

Clinton left the Obama administration in early 2013, but didn't turn over her written communications for nearly two years and only in response to a State Department request.

The email disclosures have raised questions about whether she fully complied with federal laws requiring government officials to preserve written communications involving official business. While Clinton insisted Tuesday that she was not violating any rules, she does appear to have gone against what the Obama White House has called "very specific guidance" that officials should use government email to conduct business.

She said she emailed her State Department colleagues on their government accounts and therefore expected her communications would be archived. She provided no evidence to support her assertions that her email system experienced no security breaches.

The department says it will take several months to review the material Clinton turned over last year. Spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Tuesday that once the review is complete, the emails will be posted online for the public to see. Passages revealing anything from trade secrets to sensitive national security information could be redacted, in keeping with Freedom of Information Act guidelines.
___

Pace reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Steve Peoples, Bradley Klapper, Jack Gillum and Stephen Braun contributed to this report.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-03-11

[NeverSure]

The major news networks including the Associated Press with this article are all over her. If they were on her team they'd be soft peddling this.

Maybe her excuse is that when she tried to use secure government email she came under live fire.

[NongKhaiKid]

Clinton is shown on television explaining that maybe she should have been more careful but couldn't hide the overconfident grin, almost a sneer.

Asked if she will reconsider a presidential bid she said she trusted the voters. Of course she'll run, she's Hillary.

[joesanunu]

The right wing have been intensely investigating her and Bill for decades. If there was dirt, the Clintons would have been history long ago.

Remember, attorney Ken Star spent 200 million dollars legally harassing them. Came up with nothing trying to railroad Bill Clinton from office.

That's the conservative routine...if they don't win, they harangue and harass.

Has anyone in American politics taken as much abuse as Hillary?

[canuckamuck]

As secretary of State she had time for 30,000 personal emails?

[HeijoshinCool]

As secretary of State she had time for 30,000 personal emails?

.

They don't take long if you're just exchanging nekked selfies with Pelosi.

[ezzra]

She's having a Monica Lewinski moment.... she should have but she didn't, lies, deceits and excuses

from a presidential hopeful.......

[NeverSure]

The right wing have been intensely investigating her and Bill for decades. If there was dirt, the Clintons would have been history long ago.

Remember, attorney Ken Star spent 200 million dollars legally harassing them. Came up with nothing trying to railroad Bill Clinton from office.

That's the conservative routine...if they don't win, they harangue and harass.

Has anyone in American politics taken as much abuse as Hillary?

Just what is the mainstream media including those that lean left saying about this issue that isn't true? Are you saying that Hillary didn't bring this on herself?

Abuse. You mean Hillary's abuse of the system by not lawfully handling emails, right?

[snarky66]

Well we learned a couple of things here from this presser today. First and foremost she is running. The lies the smoke the obfuscation is exactly what we would expect. however I would like to make one prediction. Out of five hundred thousand emails or whatever the final number is not one will have any connection to Benghazi. That is what this is all about. Derletion of duty and the fantasy story about the video protest. You remember the Susan Rice collusion to shield themselves including Mr Barack from responsibility concerning the death of the US ambassador which is about as old news as the Flintstones. what difference does it make? Answer absolutely none if you are a stinking rat.

Edited March 11, 2015 by snarky66

[snarky66]

Mrs Clinton. We agree with you. no rules were broken. unfortunately for you laws were broken. Thus you are unfit for any future service to our nation. thank you now please go away.

[Jingthing]

Baggage she does have.

Presidential she does look.

Let the games begin!

[NeverSure]

Her royal thighness looks presidential?

[Jingthing]

Her royal thighness looks presidential?

She IS a somebody.

A big one.

Who does the opposition got?

They're afraid of her and with good reason!

Sure she has strong negatives among a big chunk of the population.

So what?

All it takes is one more electoral vote to win.

She not only can win she probably WILL win.

Edited March 11, 2015 by Jingthing

[NeverSure]

Her royal thighness looks presidential?

She IS a somebody.

A big one.

Who does the opposition got?

They're afraid of her and with good reason!

I'm afraid of her because she's a pathological liar. What uv you got?

[HeijoshinCool]

Her royal thighness looks presidential?

She IS a somebody.

A big one.

Who does the opposition got?

They're afraid of her and with good reason!

Sure she has strong negatives among a big chunk of the population.

So what?

All it takes is one more electoral vote to win.

She not only can win she probably WILL win.

.

If the best Americans have to offer is another Bush, or Clinton, or anyone else currently in politics, our country is doomed.

What will the debt level be in another 9 years? 34 trillion? 50 trillion?

[Anthony5]

Her royal thighness looks presidential?

She IS a somebody.

A big one.

Who does the opposition got?

They're afraid of her and with good reason!

Sure she has strong negatives among a big chunk of the population.

So what?

All it takes is one more electoral vote to win.

She not only can win she probably WILL win.

She's the better one of a bad bunch. If you look at all the possible candidates from both parties, it is clear that the US has presently no one who is qualified to lead a country which considers itself leader of the world.

[evadgib]

A republican ambassador was fired while she was SoS for using a private email a/c & Gen Patraeus was carpeted for having sensitive data on his. I quite fancy her chances as president but she has some work to do if she is to escape this.

On a lighter note; Edward Snowden is less likely to have plundered her private account in order to scupper her 2016 run

Edited March 11, 2015 by evadgib

[Scott]

Off-topic, inflammatory posts and replies removed.

[snarky66]

One thing that we know and is not in dispute. Mrs Clinton put our national security at risk with this stupid stunt.

[RickBradford]

If the best Americans have to offer is another Bush, or Clinton, or anyone else currently in politics, our country is doomed.

"How low do you have to stoop in this country to be President?" - Hunter S Thompson

[RKASA]

So much goobering to be done and so little time.

[joesanunu]

I'm not a Hillary fan but I do hope another Democrat wins the election. The republicans are horrible at managing the economy.

[howrub]

The right wing have been intensely investigating her and Bill for decades. If there was dirt, the Clintons would have been history long ago.

Remember, attorney Ken Star spent 200 million dollars legally harassing them. Came up with nothing trying to railroad Bill Clinton from office.

That's the conservative routine...if they don't win, they harangue and harass.

Has anyone in American politics taken as much abuse as Hillary?

the abuse Hillary has gotten pales (pardon the pun) in comparison to the abuse Obama has received. I have lots of issues with Obama (from the left), but I cannot imagine any white president getting the abuse and disrespect he has suffered.

[canuckamuck]

The right wing have been intensely investigating her and Bill for decades. If there was dirt, the Clintons would have been history long ago.

Remember, attorney Ken Star spent 200 million dollars legally harassing them. Came up with nothing trying to railroad Bill Clinton from office.

That's the conservative routine...if they don't win, they harangue and harass.

Has anyone in American politics taken as much abuse as Hillary?

the abuse Hillary has gotten pales (pardon the pun) in comparison to the abuse Obama has received. I have lots of issues with Obama (from the left), but I cannot imagine any white president getting the abuse and disrespect he has suffered.

Have you forgotten about Bush junior so soon?

[bendejo]

She sounds like a condesending high school principal addressing the school after a bomb scare that turned out to be someone's lunch left out on the lawn.

I'm sure a lot of people enjoy being spoken to this way. She's behaving like she's already been inaugarated.

[Exsexyman]

I have no doubt that there is plenty more dirt on her to come out yet. But the election is still a long way off, powder will be being kept dry for the moment. Although i am not American, whoever becomes President of the USA affects the rest of the world for sure. I really hope it's not her, can't stand the woman, as someone else has pointed out she is a pathological liar, she just can't seem to help herself, even when she must know that the lie will be shown for what it is, ie, the ridiculous lie she told about landing under fire in Bosnia. The other one i particularly liked was when she went to New Zealand in her official capacity as Secretary of State, and in an attempt to ingratiate herself with her hosts told a press conference that she had been named after their most famous son, Sir Edmund Hillary, the mountaineer who was the first person to climb Everest. Later Sir Edmund remarked," Why would that be, in 1947 when she was born i was an anonymous schoolmaster"! She just can't help herself, which is a massive character flaw, which surely renders her totally unfit for the office she seeks.

[Steely Dan]

Ah that's fine then. We just believe her that nothing untoward occurred which was then deleted from her e-mail server, along with those of Muslim Brotherhood linked Huma Abedin's, who also used a private email account. Hillary should be finished in politics now and the only question is whether further criminal charges should apply.

http://shoebat.com/2015/03/06/hillarys-connection-to-the-muslim-brotherhood-and-her-multiple-private-emails-with-her-muslim-assistant-huma-abedin-is-being-investigated-for-muslim-brotherhood-connections/

Edited March 11, 2015 by Steely Dan

[Jingthing]

As she is destined to be president, how can I invest directly in Fox News? She is gonna be great for them!

[arjunadawn]

The right wing have been intensely investigating her and Bill for decades. If there was dirt, the Clintons would have been history long ago.

Remember, attorney Ken Star spent 200 million dollars legally harassing them. Came up with nothing trying to railroad Bill Clinton from office.

That's the conservative routine...if they don't win, they harangue and harass.

Has anyone in American politics taken as much abuse as Hillary?

I think there are others in US politics who have taken more abuse than Hillary, though she has had her share (as well as Bill). Your post assumes that the very system that could presumably allow "railroad[ing]" her would nevertheless have an impenetrable and honorable justice system where, was there dirt, action would be have been taken.

There is a certain point where her protests become incredulous (her boss as well). The total fantasy of the image that she and Bill create never really comports with facts or experience. At what point is it no longer a "vast right wing conspiracy?" Here, she crapped the bed herself! No one did this to her. So, there may be reason for [them] being hounded, but that does not mean that recourse exists in a compromised justice system. They had already amassed considerable power before ever leaving the south; and power is useless unless exercised. (Yes, I assert US justice system is political).

[Asiantravel]

first Hillary, now Chuck Hagel former Sec of defence also used Private email

http://www.nbcwashington.com/investigations/Former-Sec-of-Defense-Hagels-Private-Email-Address-Found-on-Email-From-White-House-295813861.html?_osource=SocialFlowTwt_DCBrand

Edited March 11, 2015 by Asiantravel