Hillary Clinton relied on aides at State to recognize classified material
When Hillary Clinton was interviewed by the FBI earlier this year about her use of a private email server as secretary of state, she explained that she often relied on her staff to determine what was and wasn’t classified material before sending her any potentially sensitive information. Clinton has maintained that she did not send or receive any emails via her private server that were marked classified at the time they were transmitted.
“Clinton did not recall receiving any emails she thought should not be on an unclassified system,” explains the report on Clinton’s interview the FBI released Friday. “She relied on State officials to use their judgment when emailing her and could not recall anyone raising concerns with her regarding the sensitivity of the information she received at her email address.”
That dovetails with what Clinton told “Face the Nation” in an interview that aired on January 10, when she suggested she relied on one aide, Jake Sullivan, to determine what could and couldn’t be appropriately transmitted through her private server.
“There’s a lot of information that isn’t at all classified. So, whatever information can appropriately transmitted unclassified often was. That’s true for every agency in the government and who everybody does business with the government,” Clinton explained. “But the important point here is, I had great confidence, because I had worked with Jake Sullivan for years. He is the most meticulous, careful person you could possibly do business with. And he knew exactly what was and wasn’t appropriate.”
“And, in fact, as the State Department has said, there was no transmission of any classified information,” Clinton added. “So, it’s another effort by people looking for something to throw against the wall, as you said in the beginning of the program, to see what sticks. But there’s no there there.”
For the latest news and analysis on the 2016 election, tune into “Face the Nation” on Sunday. Check your local listings for airtimes.