Former Secretary of State Colin Powell is pushing back on Hillary Clinton's reported claims that he advised her to use a personal email account -- telling reporters that the Democratic presidential nominee is trying to "pin" the scandal on him.
The New York Times reported last week that Clinton told the FBI that Powell detailed to her his email practices under George W. Bush. The paper cited a passage from an upcoming book about Bill Clinton’s post-presidency that read, “Powell told her to use her own email, as he had done, except for classified communications, which he had sent and received via a State Department computer.”
Powell, in response, said in a statement he only sent her a memo about his email practices and had no recollection of this conversation with Clinton.
He elaborated on that statement to The New York Post, saying “The truth is she was using it (her personal email) for a year before I sent her a memo telling her what I did.”
He added that, “her people have been trying to pin it on me.”
Powell said it didn’t bother him, according to The Post.
The conversation revelation was part of the FBI’s notes that were given to Congress last week about the agency’s questioning in July that led Director James Comey not to pursue criminal charges against her over her use of private emails.
The Times reported that the State Department has asked to review the FBI’s notes from Clinton’s questioning before they are officially released.
Asked about the Times report that Powell urged Clinton to use personal email -- and whether the bureau had cleared its release from the file -- an FBI spokesman said they did not know who the story's source was.
Click for more from The New York Post.
Fox News' Catherine Herridge contributed to this report.