CNN panelist Alex Burns called out Hillary Clinton for passing the blame for the use of her private email server to Colin Powell on Thursday, saying it doesn't exonerate her.
During her interview with the FBI, Clinton said Powell, who ran the State Department during George W. Bush's first term, told her to do so.
House Democrats released the email conversation between Clinton and Powell Wednesday. The emails are dated from 2009, after Clinton was sworn in as Secretary of State. The correspondence showed Clinton asking Powell about restrictions when using a Blackberry. Powell responded that he didn't have a Blackberry but used a computer hooked up to a private phone line.
Burns, a New York Times reporter, highlighted how Democrats are feeling frustrated by Clinton's continual email controversy on CNN.
"I don't even know that Colin Powell having done exactly the same thing as Hillary Clinton is politically exonerating, right? It gives her some cover in that she can say this man of integrity told me he did the same thing," he said.
He added he was "old enough to remember" when Democrats slammed the Bush administration for lack of transparency.
"The idea that George Bush's secretary of state did the same thing as me or did something similar in a certain area and told me what I was doing was OK, I don't know that's an explanation that really holds up," Burns said.
Clinton was investigated by the FBI for her server use, and while the agency didn't recommend charges, Director James Comey said she was "extremely careless" with classified information.