Clinton Won’t Apologize For Private Email Use: ‘What I Did Was Allowed’

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, Monday, Sept. 7, 2015, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton told the Associated Press in a Monday interview that she won’t apologize for using a private email account at the State Department because the agency allowed her to do so.

“What I did was allowed,” she said when the AP asked why she wouldn’t directly apologize for deciding to use private email exclusively during her tenure as a Cabinet official. “It was allowed by the State Department. The State Department has confirmed that.”

“I did not send or receive any information marked classified,” she added. “I take the responsibilities of handling classified materials very seriously and did so.”

Asked whether the federal inquiries and news headlines surrounding her use of a private email account have damaged her campaign, Clinton told the AP that while it was certainly a “distraction,” “it hasn’t in any way affected the plan for our campaign.”

Clinton told NBC’s Andrea Mitchell last week that she was sorry the issues surrounding her private email account and server had confused people. She added that setting up the private server “wasn’t the best choice.”

Latest Livewire
73
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. What kind of a headline is that? “Won’t apologize” implies that there is a reason to apologize. She was not the first Sec of State to use a personal server, and the use was approved by the DoJ and State lawyers, and she paid for the staffer who maintained it.

    What is it she should apologize for?

  2. Avatar for mymy mymy says:

    You bet! This whole thing is purely to try to put a very undeserved stink on her.

  3. I have yet to see evidence of any real wrongdoing, or any real harm. Those pushing this “scandal” are blowing smoke, then saying “where there’s smoke there must be fire.” Looks to me like the only thing on fire is their pants.

  4. And why in hell or heaven should Hillary Clinton need to make an apology for … doing nothing wrong?

    “I did not send or receive any information marked classified,” she added. “I take the responsibilities of handling classified materials very seriously and did so.”

    Go, Hillary!! Go, Hillary!! – Straight back to the White House!! – Eight Years!!

  5. I am not going to really put that entirely on TPM. Nearly every media outlet has been running with some version of “Clinton refuses to apologize” since the Mitchell interview. She really is in a box with the media on this…they are determined to run with this non-story for rest of the election and every interview or question she answers is going to be a “damned if you do/damned if you don’t” moment.

    Basically the media wants her down on her stomach groveling before her Media Masters. And if she complies they will run as an obvious admittance of criminal wrongdoing and a total lack or moral character. Plus weak. If she refuses, she is arrogant, willful and a megalomaniac whose ego is too big to run for office.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

67 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for cabchi Avatar for lockheedkeynesian Avatar for ealleniii Avatar for jootjoint Avatar for jcs Avatar for overreach_this Avatar for jw1 Avatar for kendyzdad Avatar for clemmers Avatar for chammy Avatar for randyabraham Avatar for mrcomments Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for ralph_vonholst Avatar for ottnott Avatar for anirprof Avatar for manutgop Avatar for feljones Avatar for beattycat Avatar for gajake Avatar for professorpoopypants Avatar for barkingconscience Avatar for ladislavdin

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: