On Tuesday’s “MSNBC Live,” Clinton campaign Deputy Communications Director Kristina Schake said that Clinton would say that she didn’t send or receive any emails that were classified at the time, even though FBI Director James Comey said that Clinton did do so.
Host Kate Snow began the interview by contrasting clips of Clinton saying that Comey said her answers to the public about her email were “truthful” and that certain emails were retroactively classified with Comey saying that Clinton had seven email chains on her server concerning matters that were classified “at the time they were sent and received.” And that “There is evidence to support a conclusion that any reasonable person in Secretary Clinton’s position, or in the position of those with whom she was corresponding about those matters, should have known that an unclassified system was no place for that conversation.”
Snow then asked, “So, James Comey there, Kristina, very clearly saying that this was top secret information sent and received from Clinton’s private email server, not retroactively classified, but, classified at the time that it was sent or received?”
Schake responded, “But I think what was really helpful was the testimony that he did before Congress two days later, where he clarified that statement to say those emails that he is now saying, he believes were classified were not marked classified, and he made that very clear in the hearing.”
Snow countered, “He said some of them may not have been marked. To be completely clear, right?” Schake answered, “So, what he clarified in that hearing was that there were three emails, that were classified, but they were mismarked, and as he said, no reasonable person would have understood those to be classified. The other emails, which he is asserting were classified, that Hillary believes were not, were not marked as classified, and he went on to say no reasonable person would then know that they were.”
Snow then asked, “So, let me make sure I understand this. You’re arguing — or Secretary Clinton would say that she — she would insist that she never sent or received emails that were classified at the time, even though the director said that at his press conference?”
Schake said, “Yes, and what he said, as I said, it was further clarified, in the hearing, that was actually very helpful for people to understand the issue better, that the emails that were marked classified were actually mismarked, and as he said, no reasonable person would understand them to be classified.”
Snow responded that she didn’t remember Comey saying that these emails were mismarked at the time.
Schake answered, “Yes, the three emails that marked classified were mismarked. The 110 emails, which I think is what you’re referring to, that he is now saying were classified, we have always maintained were not classified, and Hillary went on to explain that she received emails from 300 people who were experts in foreign policy and classification, they did not believe those emails were classified, nor did she.”
Schake added that while Clinton’s email setup was a “mistake,” “she does take the issue of classified material very seriously, and she handled it appropriately.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.