Kristina Schake, the deputy communications director for Hillary Clinton’s campaign, told MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle on Tuesday that Clinton "absolutely did not" lie to Congress about her use of a private email server while at the State Department.
Ruhle started off the interview by citing a new poll that shows 56 percent of the public disagree with FBI Director James Comey’s decision not to recommend an indictment for Clinton for mishandling classified information over her server.
"We have got to talk about this email issue because it is not going away," Ruhle said. "Fifty-six percent of voters polled believe Hillary Clinton should be indicted. Republicans are now saying she should be questioned about lying. This isn’t going away."
Schake justified the 56 percent disapproval rate by saying the poll was taken after Comey made his first statements on the issue but before he testified to Congress.
"This was an independent, very thorough investigation done by career professionals at the Department of Justice and FBI and they came to the conclusion that no reasonable prosecutor would bring this case forward," Schake said. "Republicans were really unhappy about that, obviously, and are trying to keep this alive. But, you know, that poll was done after that first announcement by Comey. But, I think when he came back and testified, a lot of issues were clarified and I think voters are absorbing that information now."
Ruhle then asked point black if Clinton lied to Congress.
Schake said she "absolutely did not" lie.
"And you know, in that testimony before the [House Oversight Committee], Comey made it clear that she was truthful and consistent in her statements," she said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Clinton’s press secretary, Brian Fallon, admitted there were inconsistencies between Comey’s statement and Clinton’s story.
When Comey testified on Capitol Hill, he said there were three emails that were marked classified on Clinton’s server, which appears to undermine Schake’s claims.
The Washington Free Beacon reported on Comey’s comments earlier this month:
Later in the hearing, Comey explained to Meadows there were three documents that had confidential classified markings.
"There were three documents that bore portion markings where you’re obligated when something is classified, you put a marking on that paragraph," he said."And there were three that bore C in parentheses, which means that’s confidential classified information."
Meadows jumped in to ask if it was reasonable to assume Clinton would be able to understand the marking.
"So a reasonable person who has been a senator, a secretary of state, a First Lady– wouldn’t a reasonable person know that that was a classified marking?" he asked. "As a Secretary of State."
Comey said yes.
Ruhle entertained the prospect that Clinton did not lie before asking Schake about how Clinton can move past her perception of being untrustworthy among voters.
Schake explained that Clinton understood this impression of her and her plan is to get out to talk to the voters.
"Well, you know, first of all, she wants people to know, and she has said this many times in interviews with NBC, that she understands that people have concerns about this and she understands she has some work to do to earn peoples’ trust," she said. "You know, she takes this really seriously, she’s going to answer people’s questions and get out there and talk to people about her values and her experience and she really hopes that people take this into the context of her entire life, what she’s done fighting for children and families."