Former President Bill Clinton called the FBI investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server a "bogus email deal" on Monday while speaking to reporters.
Clinton was talking to the press in Albany, New York, where he was casting his vote for president as a member of the Electoral College, which was convening on Monday to formally elect the country's next leader. The former president said he is proud of his wife and the campaign she ran for president when he brought up her email scandal.
"I've never cast a vote I was prouder of," Clinton said. "You know I watched her work for two years. I watched her battle through that bogus email deal and be vindicated at the end when Secretary [Colin] Powell came out. She fought through that. She fought through everything and she prevailed against it all."
Bill Clinton speaks to the press in Albany, praises Hillary for persevering through "that bogus email deal." pic.twitter.com/hnXwwAXrJs
— Jon Campbell (@JonCampbellGAN) December 19, 2016
Clinton then switched topics and blamed his wife's loss to Donald Trump on Russian cyber attacks into American political networks and FBI Director James Comey after he reopened the Clinton email probe less than two weeks before the election on Nov. 8.
When asked to clarify what he meant, Clinton referenced statistician and FiveThirtyEight founder Nate Silver, calling him "the finest vote counter in America" and saying that Silver already told the press why Clinton lost to President-elect Donald Trump.
Clinton's comments came after his wife cited Silver last week at an event with her donors in New York City.
"Take it from Nate Silver, who has pointed out that swing state voters made their decisions in the final days, breaking against me because of the FBI letter from FBI Director Comey. Nate Silver believes, I happen to believe this, that that letter most likely made the difference in the outcome," Hillary Clinton said.
Bill Clinton spoke to the press after he and 28 other New York members of the Electoral College cast their votes for Clinton, who won the state despite Trump winning the presidency, the Associated Press reported.
The electors gathered Monday in the state Senate chambers in the Albany Capitol.
Electors in attendance included Gov. Andrew Cuomo, former President Bill Clinton and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, all three Democrats.
The electors broke out in applause when the results were read.
Dozens of protesters showed up outside the Albany Capitol to air their grievances against Trump and to encourage electors from other states around the U.S. to cast their votes for Clinton or another candidate.