Did Hillary Clinton destroy evidence in 'wiping clean' her email server?
Behind the saga of Hillary Rodham Clinton鈥檚 personal email account and the messages said to no longer exist is the implication that she has something to hide.
None of her critics 鈥� at least those among congressional Republicans pushing her to reveal more 鈥� have come right out and said she purposely destroyed politically-damaging evidence that could hamper any plans to run for president next year.
But that鈥檚 the impression left among her political rivals, an impression that can be said to be of her own creating.
Friday was the deadline for Mrs. Clinton to respond to a congressional subpoena for emails and documents related to Libya, including the 2012 attack on a US diplomatic compound in Benghazi that killed the US ambassador and three other American personnel.
The subpoena was from the House Select Committee on Benghazi, chaired by Rep. Trey Gowdy (R) of South Carolina. Rep. Gowdy鈥檚 statement Friday is worth reading in its entirety:
鈥淎fter seeking and receiving a two week extension from the Committee, Secretary Clinton failed to provide a single new document to the subpoena issued by the Committee and refused to provide her private server to the Inspector General for the State Department or any other independent arbiter for analysis.
鈥淲e learned today, from her attorney, Secretary Clinton unilaterally decided to wipe her server clean and permanently delete all emails from her personal server.聽 While it is not clear precisely when Secretary Clinton decided to permanently delete all emails from her server, it appears she made the decision after October 28, 2014, when the Department of State for the first time asked the Secretary to return her public record to the Department.
鈥淣ot only was the Secretary the sole arbiter of what was a public record, she also summarily decided to delete all emails from her server ensuring no one could check behind her analysis in the public interest.
鈥淚n light of the Secretary鈥檚 unprecedented email arrangement with herself and her decision nearly two years after she left office to permanently delete all emails and because the equities at stake involve not only those of the Select Committee and Congress more broadly, but also those of the American people and their right to the full record of her tenure as secretary of State, we will work with the leadership of the House of Representatives as the Committee considers next steps. But it is clear Congress will need to speak with the former Secretary about her email arrangement and the decision to permanently delete those emails.鈥�
If Benghazi seems a long way off to most Americans, it鈥檚 very much at the center of Clinton鈥檚 time as secretary of state 鈥� and therefore at the center of her record as a potential presidential candidate. Thus do Benghazi and the long-gone emails come together, whether or not those emails would have revealed anything startling.
A CNN/ORC poll earlier this month gives an indication of the challenge she faces.
A slight majority of those polled thinks her use of a private rather than government email system is a 鈥渧ery serious鈥� or 鈥渟lightly serious鈥� problem, that she鈥檚 done something wrong, and that she hasn鈥檛 done enough to explain herself. Asked whether the way she handled her email 鈥渋s an important indicator of her character and ability to serve as president,鈥� 46 percent say 鈥測es鈥� and 52 percent say 鈥渘o.鈥�
A recent CBS poll is bit better for Clinton, but has the seeds of trouble as well. 鈥淢ost Americans (65 percent) say their opinion of Clinton has not changed in the wake of the聽email controversy, but 29 percent say their opinion of her has grown worse,鈥� CBS reported.
Much will depend on how she handles the issue from here on out. Expect Rep. Gowdy to be dogged in his quest for more information.
鈥淭he Benghazi panel has already said it will bring Clinton in to testify at least twice 鈥� once privately about her email use while at State and at another public hearing on the Obama administration鈥檚 reaction to Benghazi,鈥� Politico reports. 鈥淭he House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has also signaled plans to investigate Clinton鈥檚 use of private email.鈥�
