A Republican lawmaker slammed Hillary Clinton for exhibiting "a stunning level of recklessness" while secretary of state after emails showed that she told an aide to send information using nonsecure channels.
Rep. Ron DeSantis (R., Fla.), who serves on the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, said in a statement Friday that any ordinary State Department employee would not have gotten away with doing what Clinton did. He also called on the Justice Department to hold Clinton accountable and refrain from giving the former secretary of state and Democratic presidential candidate any "special treatment."
In a 2011 email exchange included in a batch of emails released by the State Department Friday, Clinton corresponded with Jake Sullivan, then her deputy chief of staff, about forthcoming talking points that she hadn’t yet received.
"They say they’ve had issues sending secure fax. They’re working on it," Sullivan told Clinton in an email dated June 17, 2011.
Shortly later, Clinton replied, "If they can’t, turn it into nonpaper [with] no identifying heading and send nonsecure."
The subject line of the email exchange has been redacted.
"To order that classified markings be removed so that classified information can be transmitted over an unclassified and unsecured server represents a stunning level of recklessness," DeSantis stated Friday.
"A rank-and-file State Department employee would never have gotten away with pulling a similar stunt. Secretary Clinton needs to be held accountable and should receive no special treatment from the Department of Justice."
It is unclear whether the information being discussed by Sullivan and Clinton was classified. Still, Clinton’s comments appear to showcase her willingness to transmit State Department information using methods that were not secure.
The latest batch of Clinton emails is parter of a larger effort by the State Department to vet and release the work-related communications held on the former secretary of state’s personal server, which she used exclusively to conduct government business. Clinton’s server has been found to have been vulnerable to hackers.
The FBI is investigating Clinton’s email server, which the intelligence community inspector general determined held two emails that were top secret when sent or received. Clinton, however, has insisted that she never sent or received information marked classified on her private email.