As Hillary Clinton was pressed during an NBC News forum Wednesday night on why she set up a private email server while Secretary of State, Democrats on a U.S. House panel released an email exchange she had with former Secretary of State Colin Powell about using a personal email while in that post.
"This email exchange shows that Secretary Powell advised Secretary Clinton with a detailed blueprint on how to skirt security rules and bypass requirements to preserve federal records," said Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD).
The email exchange shows Clinton - just on the job as Secretary of State in late January of 2009 - had reached out to Powell via email, with a pressing question.
"What were the restrictions on the your use of your blackberry?" Clinton wrote at 7:37 am on January 23, 2009.
Powell's response described how he went around State Department security, as he warned Clinton that any business conducted via email might make it into official records.
Credit: Jamie Dupree
Credit: Jamie Dupree
"If it is public that you have a Blackberry," Powell wrote, "it may become an official record and subject to the law."
That "law" would be the Freedom of Information Act.
"Be very careful," Powell concluded.
You can see the full Clinton-Powell exchange at here.
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