Washington: At least six senior aides to President Donald Trump, including Ivanka Trump, used private email accounts for official White House business, it has been reported. Jared Kushner, Mr Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, on Monday admitted to using private emails for “fewer than 100 emails from January through August”.
It is not illegal for White House staffers to use their personal email accounts, but under the Presidential Records Act and Federal Records Act, government officials must forward any official correspondence to their official White House email accounts within 20 days for preservation, according to BBC. There are also rules against sharing classified or privileged information on personal email accounts.
A New York Times report on Tuesday said that Mr Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump, aides Gary Cohn and Stephen Miller and former staff members Steve Bannon and Reince Priebus had also used private email for official business.
Hillary Clinton who had been criticised for her use of personal email during her tenure as the secretary of state lashed out at the news and calling it “the height of hypocrisy”. She told Sirius XM radio on Tuesday, that the Trump administration knew there was no real scandal and no basis to their claims. “We’re finding with the latest revelations — they didn’t mean any of it. It’s just the height of hypocrisy,” Ms Clinton said.
Meanwhile, a top House Republican demanded details on the use of private emails by Mr Trump’s advisers. In letters to White House general counsel and the state department, Republican Trey Gowdy, a South Carolina conservative who chairs the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and the top Democrat on the panel, Republican Elijah Cummings, said they want details on all employees.
