Clinton's emails violated US State Dept. policy: report

By Esra Kaymak Avci

WASHINGTON

A not yet public government report says former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and previous office holders did not abide by agency rules while using electronic communications, media reports said Wednesday.

The State Department Inspector General report was leaked to media, one day after the agency released it privately to lawmakers, media reports say.

According to copy obtained by The Associated Press, the agency found Clinton at fault "for poorly managing email and other computer information and slowly responding to new cybersecurity risks."

The report cited "longstanding, systemic weaknesses" related to communications, the AP said, adding that issues started before Clinton became secretary of state but her failures were "singled out as more serious."

The AP declined to share the original report with Anadolu Agency but said it would be officially released Thursday.

According to the AP, the 78-page report says the State Department and its leaders were "slow to recognize and to manage effectively the legal requirements and cybersecurity risks associated with electronic data communications, particularly as those risks pertain to its most senior leadership."

The State Department declined comment on the report, saying it had not yet been officially released.

Spokesman Mark Toner conceded, however, that the agency "like many federal agencies, were not doing enough to meet the requirements of records management and preservation.”

Clinton has not commented on the report.

The report is the latest chapter in the scandal regarding Clinton's use of her private email account and server while she was secretary of state.

It is expected to stir more controversy for the Democratic presidential hopeful.