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Inspector reports on Clinton email

Posted at 11:02 AM, Jan 20, 2016
and last updated 2016-01-20 11:02:50-05

WASHINGTON — The emails on Hillary Clinton’s private server contained classified intelligence from some of the U.S. intelligence community’s most secretive programs, according to a new report.

The Intelligence Community Inspector General I. Charles McCullough III sent a letter to leaders on congressional intelligence committees last week detailing the findings from a review of Clinton’s emails, a spokeswoman for the inspector general confirmed to CNN.

Two government agencies flagged emails on Clinton’s server as containing classified information, the inspector general said, including some on “special access programs,” which are above “top secret” in classification level.

The inspector general review was first reported by Fox News.

Clinton’s spokesman, Brian Fallon, appeared on CNN Wednesday morning to dispute the report. He argued on “New Day” that the information described as “classified” may be no more than a news article that was forwarded, although he ceded it is not entirely clear what classified material the report mentions.

Fallon argued that the crux of the issue is a dispute between the State Department and the intelligence community over what should be classified. He said the emails were not classified in the eyes of the State Department when they were sent to Clinton. Fallon also implied the inspector general has an ax to grind with Clinton.

There were “several dozen” emails in question, according to Fox News, beyond the two previously reported emails containing top secret information.

Clinton’s campaign and the State Department have denied that any information was handled improperly, saying that the information and emails in question were all retroactively classified.

State also has noted that the same information can come from multiple sources, not all of which are classified.

State Department spokesman John Kirby said the department is still undergoing its review process, but any upgraded classification that is needed will be done.

“The State Department is focused on and committed to releasing former Secretary Clinton’s emails in a manner that protects sensitive information,” Kirby said in a statement. “No one takes this more seriously than we do. We have said repeatedly that we anticipate more upgrades throughout our release process. Our (Freedom of Information Act) review process is still ongoing. Once that process is complete, if it is determined that information should be classified as Top Secret, we will do so.”

The Justice Department is investigating if classified information improperly ended up on Clinton’s email server. The server contained correspondence between Clinton and a variety of aides and friends.

Republican lawmakers requested the inspector general investigate in March.