Did Hillary Clinton Just Pull A Fast One on The US?

05 Jul, 2016

The FBI has announced it will not recommend criminal charges against Hillary Clinton over her use of private email while she was secretary of state.

FBI Director James Comey said “no reasonable prosecutor” would pursue a case but said the likely Democratic presidential nominee was “extremely careless” with classified information.

The decision ends the legal uncertainty that has dogged the Clinton campaign.

Just hours later, she appeared on stage with President Barack Obama.

Neither of them mentioned the case. Instead, Mr Obama offered her an enthusiastic endorsement at the rally in North Carolina – his first appearance with her during the campaign.

He said he believed in Mrs Clinton and there had never been any man or woman more qualified for the presidency.

Mr Comey was highly critical of Mrs Clinton and her staff: “There is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information.”

The FBI’s key findings:

• It is possible that “hostile actors” gained access to Mrs Clinton’s email account
• There were more than 100 emails that contained classified information when they were sent or received, contrary to her claim she never sent classified emails
• But there was no evidence she had knowingly shared sensitive material
• She did not delete emails in an effort to conceal them

The likely Democratic presidential nominee’s use of private email has been a talking point in the election, with critics saying Mrs Clinton believes she is above the law.

Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump called the decision “very unfair” and said it was proof that they system was rigged.

The Clinton campaign said on Tuesday that they were “glad that this matter is now resolved.”

Mrs Clinton said she had set up the email address for reasons of convenience, because it had been easier to do everything from one device than to have several phones or tablets.

She had previously said she did not knowingly send any classified material from her account.

But investigators found that 110 emails had been sent or received on Mrs Clinton’s server containing classified information.

The FBI ended its investigation after agents interviewed Mrs Clinton for more than three hours over the weekend about her email habits.

The Department of Justice will ultimately decide whether to press charges, but Attorney General Loretta Lynch has said she will follow the FBI’s recommendation.

Mrs Clinton’s campaign says it showed that her practices were consistent with those of other secretaries of state who “also used personal email” and she was “not unique” in doing it.

However, she has apologised for using the private email system, calling it “a mistake”.

“As I look back at it now, even though it was allowed, I should have used two accounts…” she said. “I’m sorry about that. I take responsibility.”

BBC

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