The Dysfunction Exposed by the Clinton Investigation in the State Department and Beyond
Michael Singh
July 13, 2016
Lost amid the attention devoted to FBI director James Comey’s July 5 announcement that the FBI would not bring charges against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was his broader criticism of the “security culture of the State Department in general, and with respect to the use of unclassified e-mail systems in particular.”
Assessing Comey’s assertion that State is lax when it comes to email security is not possible without reviewing the evidence that the FBI developed. It must be borne in mind, however, that the State Department, far more than any other agency dealing with classified information, must deal with foreign officials and publics to fulfill its basic mission of carrying out the foreign relations of the United States. While most diplomats are aware of the need to protect classified information, their culture is not — and should not be — one of secrecy, but of discretion.
Following Comey’s statement, even President Barack Obama weighed in on the email habits of State, confirming that he, too, was “concerned” about security at the department. He explained that “the advent of email…is just generating enormous amounts of data…putting enormous pressure on the department to sort through it, classify it properly.”
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