Break down of hilary clinton e mails

The Hillary Clinton email controversy refers to the use of a personal email account by Hillary Clinton, then the United States Secretary of State, to conduct official government business. The controversy surrounding her email practices began in March 2015, when it was reported that Clinton had used a personal email account, rather than a government-issued email account, to conduct official business while serving as Secretary of State from 2009 to 2013.

Here is a breakdown of the controversy:

The Initial Report

On March 2, 2015, the New York Times reported that Hillary Clinton had used a personal email account, rather than a government-issued email account, to conduct official business while serving as Secretary of State. The report stated that Clinton had used the account, which was hosted on a private server located in her home in Chappaqua, New York, to send and receive emails related to her official duties.

The Controversy

The use of a personal email account for official business raised several concerns, including:

  1. Security: The private server used by Clinton was not equipped with the same level of security as government-issued email accounts, which raised concerns about the potential for hacking and data breaches.
  2. Transparency: The use of a personal email account made it difficult for the public to access Clinton's emails, as they were not subject to the same Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests as government-issued emails.
  3. Conflicts of Interest: Clinton's use of a personal email account raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest, as she was using a private account to conduct official business while also using it for personal communications.

The Investigation

In March 2015, the State Department launched an investigation into Clinton's email practices, and in July 2015, the FBI launched its own investigation into the matter. The FBI investigation was led by FBI Director James Comey, who ultimately concluded that Clinton had been "extremely careless" in her handling of classified information, but did not recommend criminal charges.

The Release of Emails

In May 2016, the State Department released over 30,000 emails from Clinton's personal account, which had been turned over to the State Department in December 2014. The emails were released in batches, with the final batch being released in January 2016.

The Content of the Emails

The released emails revealed a number of controversies, including:

  1. Benghazi: The emails included communications related to the 2012 Benghazi attack, which killed four Americans, including Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens. The emails showed that Clinton had been involved in the response to the attack, and had been criticized for her handling of the situation.
  2. Clinton Foundation: The emails included communications between Clinton and officials at the Clinton Foundation, which raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest.
  3. Classified Information: The emails included classified information, which was not marked as such at the time it was sent. This raised concerns about Clinton's handling of classified information.

The Political Fallout

The email controversy had significant political fallout for Clinton, including:

  1. Polling Numbers: Clinton's polling numbers suffered as a result of the controversy, with many voters expressing concerns about her trustworthiness and ability to handle classified information.
  2. Democratic Primary: The controversy played a significant role in the 2016 Democratic primary, with Clinton's opponents, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, criticizing her handling of the situation.
  3. General Election: The controversy continued to be a major issue in the 2016 general election, with Republican nominee Donald Trump frequently criticizing Clinton's handling of the situation.

Conclusion

The Hillary Clinton email controversy was a significant political issue in 2015 and 2016, and continues to be a topic of debate and controversy to this day. The controversy raised concerns about Clinton's handling of classified information, her use of a personal email account for official business, and potential conflicts of interest. The controversy had significant political fallout for Clinton, including a decline in her polling numbers and criticism from her opponents.