Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Monday said she regrets some of the reactions that have resulted from her decision to use a private email system and server as secretary of state, likening the response from some quarters to criticism she’s faced over the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack in Benghazi.
“People are selectively leaking and making comments that have no basis in anything I am aware of,” Mrs. Clinton said on CNN’s “New Day.” “I regret that that seems to be part of the atmosphere, because we need to let this inquiry run its course, get it resolved.”
Mrs. Clinton said the email controversy has not been on the minds of the “thousands” of people she’s seen over the last few weeks.
“And I’m glad it isn’t, because the facts are the facts, and no matter how much selective leaking or anonymous sourcing and all that kind of stuff that goes on, what people want to know is what I can do to be the best possible president for them and their families,” she said.
The State Department on Friday said it’s withholding 22 emails from Mrs. Clinton’s email account for containing “top secret” material, though a spokesman said none of the emails had information marked classified at the time she sent or received them.
More than a quarter of Mrs. Clinton’s emails the department released separately late Friday were also labeled classified or secret.
SEE ALSO: Hillary Clinton seeks release of ‘top secret’ emails as scandal weighs on campaign
“There is nothing new, and I think the facts are quite helpful here,” Mrs. Clinton said. “It’s a little bit like what the Republicans and others have tried to do with respect to Benghazi — just a lot of innuendo, a lot of attacks. I just know that after I testified for 11 hours, answered every question, nothing new came up, and most voters have made up their minds, and I’m grateful for that.”
“I think most of the voters who have followed this know exactly what’s going on here,” she said. “I never made any different explanation than the one that I’ve made over and over again. I take classified information seriously, I did not send or receive any material marked classified, and I want all of these released, and this is a dispute about retroactive classification — quite a mouthful.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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