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Ivanka Trump used personal email for govt business: Report

November 20, 2018



Ivanka Trump
Ivanka Trump

WASHINGTON — The US president’s daughter and senior adviser Ivanka Trump used a personal email account for government business in violation of federal records rules, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

The Post, citing anonymous sources, said the discovery was made by White House officials reviewing emails in response to a public records lawsuit.

When asked about it, Trump said she was unfamiliar with details of the rules, the Post said.

A spokesman for Trump’s attorney confirmed that she did use a private email account before she was informed of the rules, and said that all her government-related emails had been turned over months ago, the newspaper reported.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly pilloried Hillary Clinton, his rival in the 2016 presidential election, for her use of a private email server for government business while she was secretary of state.

Then FBI director James Comey — fired by the president last year — announced that the bureau would reopen an investigation into Clinton’s use of the private email server just 11 days before the 2016 presidential vote, a move that some say may have helped cost her the election.

Trump supporters still chant “Lock her up!” at rallies, mimicking one of Trump’s battle cries during the election campaign, indicating they believe Clinton should be jailed.

A Trump administration official told CBS News that Ivanka’s emails did not contain classified information, and what had occurred was basically a lack of understanding of the rules.

However Austin Evers, from a group called American Oversight, which submitted the freedom of information request that led to the discovery of Ivanka’s use of personal email last year, said the “president’s family is not above the law”.

“Did Ivanka Trump turn over all of her emails for preservation as required by law? Was she sending classified information over a private system,” he added.

It is not illegal for White House officials to use personal email accounts for government business.

However, under the Presidential Records Act and Federal Records Act, government officials must forward any official correspondence to a work account within 20 days for preservation.

If this is not done reliably, the use of private accounts can put official records beyond the reach of journalists, lawmakers and others who seek publicly available information.

There are also rules against sharing classified or privileged information on personal email accounts. — Agencies


November 20, 2018
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