‘Top secrets’ Clinton sent remain classified
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at a campaign event on January 24, 2016 in West Des Moines , Iowa. PHOTO | AFP
What you need to know:
- This is the first time Hillary Clinton emails released by the State Department have been wholly withheld.
The revelation about the top secret emails comes three days before Clinton goes to battle in the Iowa caucus.
Hillary Clinton is the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination.
WASHINGTON, Saturday
Top secret material was sent through Hillary Clinton’s private email server during her tenure as secretary of state, it has been revealed.
State Department spokesman John Kirby said the emails, which he described as “22 documents covering 37 pages” from seven email chains during Clinton’s tenure as secretary of state, would therefore not be released to the public.
Another 18 emails, from eight email chains, sent between then secretary Clinton and President Barack Obama will also not be released.
But Kirby said those exchanges did not contain classified information.
Although emails previously released by the State Department have been partially redacted due to the nature of the information they contained, this was the first time entire messages were withheld.
The revelation about the top secret emails comes three days before Clinton — the frontrunner for the Democratic presidential nomination — goes to battle in the Iowa caucus, the first time the public will cast ballots on the long road to Election Day in November.
“These documents were not marked classified at the time they were sent,” Kirby told a news briefing, explaining that the emails had been reviewed prior to public release and found to contain secret information.
“The documents are being upgraded at the request of intelligence agencies.”
Senator Dianne Feinstein of the intelligence Committee, said none of the email chains originated with Clinton or contained the mandatory markings required to accompany classified information. ()
