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Clinton: 'I've Been the Most Transparent Public Official in Modern Times'

March 4, 2016

Hillary Clinton told CNBC's John Harwood she'd been the "most transparent public official in modern times" during an interview in Detroit Friday.

Harwood asked Clinton if she would concede she and other State Department officials had been "sloppy" given more than 1,000 emails from the server had been deemed classified, some even top secret.

"No, no, because let's be clear about this," Clinton said. "There wasn't a single one of those that was marked classified, either sent or received. That hasn't changed ... I said make them all public. I've been the most transparent public official in modern times as far as I know. When that process is undertaken, then other agencies get to weigh in and get to say, 'Wait a minute, I don't think that should come out now,' whether or not the State Department, or if I were in some other agency, agrees.

"That is par for the course. Now whether it should be or not is a whole separate issue, but it doesn't change in any way, nothing was marked classified, and you know, that is just a fact, and it's, I think, one that bears repeating."

Clinton lauded her release of thousands of emails from the server, but she deleted 30,000 emails that she deemed of a personal nature from that server, and further denting her claim to be transparent is her continued refusal to release transcripts of her highly paid speeches to the financial industry.

Harwood also asked about the latest turn in the email scandal, in which the aide who set up her server received immunity from the government.

Harwood wondered if people should worry Clinton could be prosecuted.

"No, not at all," Clinton said, chuckling. "This is the same security review that has been going on since last spring. I'm happy that everybody now has been cooperating and giving information, because I think that will finally end this and show that only appropriate steps were taken. I know the Republicans are engaging in a lot of wishful thinking, but this is not anything people should be worried about."

Published under: CNBC , Hillary Clinton