Presidential daughter Ivanka Trump used a personal email account to conduct government business, according to a report Monday.
Ms. Trump used the account to send hundreds of emails about official government business last year, according to a report in The Washington Post that cited “people familiar with a White House examination of her correspondence.”
The anonymous sourcing was effectively confirmed though by statements Ms. Trump’s lawyers made that downplayed and explained, but did not deny, that Ms. Trump discussed or relayed official White House business on the account.
According to the Post, the emails, which used a domain Ms. Trump shares with husband Jared Kushner, were discovered last fall by White House ethics officials in a public-records lawsuit that required a review of emails involving five Cabinet agencies.
“Some aides were … taken aback by her response when questioned about the practice. Trump said she was not familiar with some details of the rules, according to people with knowledge of her reaction,” the Post wrote.
When President Trump defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, he attached the moniker “Crooked Hillary” to her, in significant part because of the former first lady’s email practices.
The White House referred requests for comment to Ivanka Trump’s attorney, Abbe Lowell. In a statement, Peter Mirijanian, a spokesman for Mr. Lowell, said Ms. Trump occasionally used her private email before she was briefed on the rules.
He said none of her messages contained classified information. More than 100 of Mrs. Clinton’s emails did contain classified information.
“While transitioning into government, after she was given an official account but until the White House provided her the same guidance they had given others who started before she did, Ms. Trump sometimes used her personal account, almost always for logistics and scheduling concerning her family,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Mirijanian said Ms. Trump turned over all her government-related emails several months ago so they could be archived with other White House records. Tens of thousands of Mrs. Clinton’s emails were deleted during a congressional investigation.
“Ms. Trump did not create a private server in her house or office, no classified information was ever included, the account was never transferred at Trump Organization, and no emails were ever deleted,” Mr. Mirijanian said.
Allies of Mrs. Clinton immediately called on House Democrats to investigate the matter when they take over the majority in January.
Philippe Reines, Mrs. Clinton’s former spokesman, said on Twitter that White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly “must be compelled to explain to Congress why Ivanka & Jared’s security clearances were granted on a permanent basis despite their email practices being known at that time to the White House as running afoul of security requirements.”
Mr. Kushner, Ms. Trump’s husband, is also an adviser to President Trump.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.