NBC News political director Chuck Todd said the criminal inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s use of her private email account, which might have contained classified information, is a significant story Friday.
The New York Times reported Thursday that two inspectors general have asked the Justice Department to open a criminal investigation into whether Clinton mishandled her personal email account in regard to classified government information.
"I think it’s incredibly significant," Todd said.
After the story was released, the Clinton campaign complained to the Times and offered several changes. The Times agreed to the small but significant changes in which Clinton is not the focus of the possible investigation.
New York Times softens its story on the prospective criminal inquiry into Hillary's email: http://t.co/yzx0wKzjm4 pic.twitter.com/EcyzPYsBaV
— Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) July 24, 2015
"I have to say, watching the little back and forth between the Times and Clinton campaign about how to word it," Todd said. "At the end of the day, if there is an investigation into mishandling of classified government--on Hillary Clinton’s email server, how is Hillary Clinton not the subject of that investigation?"
Todd was asked whether there is anything the Clinton campaign could do to put the email story to rest.
"No. I think they blew it when they didn't turn over the server immediately," Todd said. "I think that they lost any high ground they could have had by being proactive in OK, here's the server. Congress, you can have it. Take a look.
"Giving off the perception, nothing to hide here instead of sort of, while technically following the law—and technically doing what they're supposed to be doing—giving it to the State and letting State do this, they could have been more out front on this, particularly with that server."
Despite handing over 50,000 pages of her emails, there are questions whether Clinton withheld some relevant emails. And it is unlikely those questions will ever be answered because Clinton wiped her server clean of all emails.
"I don't know if there is anything they can do now to get out in front of it," Todd said. "I think now they have to hope nothing is found."