Republicans slammed Hillary Clinton Friday after the State Department released a 2011 request from the former secretary of state asking that a document be emailed to her instead of sent by secure fax, with Sen. Chuck Grassley calling it "disturbing email" that appeared to show Clinton asking to have classified information scrubbed.
Grassley, the Iowa chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the email created the impression that Clinton was instructing an aide "to remove the headings from a classified document and send it to her in an unsecure manner."
The current Democratic presidential front-runner, he said, "needs to finally come clean and be transparent about the email practices she used during her tenure at the department."
The document — dated June 17, 2011 — focused on an exchange regarding a set of "talking points" on an unspecified subject that Clinton had been waiting for since the previous evening.
After senior adviser Jake Sullivan emailed her about "issues sending secure fax," Clinton suggested he turn it "into nonpaper w/no identifying heading and send nonsecure."
Nonpaper refers to an informal document, without official markings like letterhead or logos, not saved for records.
The State Department said a review showed that the document, which was released late Thursday, never was sent to Clinton by email, and instead apparently by secure fax, after all.
Still, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas said that the email proved "once again" that Clinton "prioritizes her personal convenience over national security.
"It's as if she thinks the rules just don’t apply to her, and that is hypocrisy of the highest order," he said. "Any other federal employee found acting in such a manner would likely have their clearance revoked, employment terminated, and could face prosecution.
"Instead, Hillary Clinton is in the running for a major promotion," Cotton added. "It’s likely the more our enemies learn about her disregard for classified material, the more they are hoping she wins the presidency."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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