State defends coordinating with Clinton camp on emails
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The State Department on Wednesday denied any wrongdoing after emails hacked from John Podesta's private account revealed that the department coordinated with Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign before news broke of her use of a private email server.
"I'm not going to talk about leaked documents," State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. "What I will say is that there are times when, in trying to make sure we're accurate, it's appropriate to reach outside this agency to talk to former officials. That is not unusual, particularly when we're trying to be accurate about something regarding that individual."
Emails released by WikiLeaks show State Department officials communicating about and coordinating on the State Department's official comment on the story that would reveal Clinton's use of a private email server to the public. "Yes on your point re records — done below," the State Department press officer wrote, in an apparent reference to an edit of the statement that the Clinton team requested.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Republicans cited the email as evidence that the Obama administration tried to cover up the email scandal, which sparked a sprawling FBI investigation that continues to haunt Clinton's candidacy.