Hillary Clinton posted and shared information that was classified because it could endanger “life or physical safety” on her unprotected email system.
Numerous paragraphs in Hillary Clinton’s emails have been redacted in State Department email releases with the classification code “B7 (F),” which means that the information, if released, would “endanger the life or physical safety of an individual.”
These new revelations could provide further justification for the FBI to recommend indicting Clinton for violating the Espionage Act, which forbids the mishandling of national defense information through “gross negligence.” These revelations also add to a growing scandal for Clinton regarding her exposure of protected intelligence information, which recalls the Valerie Plame scandal that engulfed the George W. Bush administration.
Breitbart News reported Thursday that Clinton disclosed the names of CIA-protected covert intelligence sources on her private email server, which was highly vulnerable to attack and which was breached repeatedly by Russia-linked hacker attempts. Clinton shared names on her private server that have been marked with the highly classified “B3 CIA PERS/ORG” redaction code, which protects the identity of covert agents in accordance with the Central Intelligence Act of 1949.
Tennessee Rep. Marsha Blackburn of the House Communications and Technology subcommittee responded to the report this weekend, saying, “Hillary Clinton chose to set up a system that was going to put the identities of these operatives at risk. Whether they are our operatives or they are someone with an ally that we are working with, it is completely inappropriate.”
Retired General Jerry Boykin, the Bush administration’s undersecretary of defense for intelligence, said this weekend that Clinton’s email disclosures put American lives in danger, which is “punishable by jail time.”
Now, in addition to the CIA-protected redactions, we know that Clinton was sharing information that directly put lives or safety in danger.
The State Department produced a document to Judicial Watch in April 2014 that identifies different types of “(b)(7)” redactions, including: B7 (D), which means that the information “disclose[s] confidential sources,” B7 (E) for “disclose investigation techniques,” and the highly-classified B7 (F), which means that the information would “endanger life or physical safety of an individual.”
There are examples of B7 (F) redactions in Clinton’s emails.
Message from the special agent
On July 21, 2012, State Department special agent for diplomatic security David Gallagher sent an email to colleagues with the subject line “[Redacted] Update.” The message begins with “Good morning all,” then its contents are completely redacted by the Department.
The Department redacted this information with the B6, B7 (C), and also the rare “B7 (F)” classification code, meaning that the information would endanger life or physical safety. Gallagher sent another email later in the day that was completely redacted with B7 (C) and B7 (F) classifications.
These emails were sent to top Clinton aide Cheryl Mills, who forwarded them to Clinton’s private email address “hdr22@clintonemail.com” as well as to top Clinton staffers Huma Abedin and Philippe Reins.
“Thank you cheryl,” Abedin replied to Mills along with a redacted message.
“Subject: Threat”
On July 21, 2012, Eric J. Boswell, the assistant Secretary of State for diplomatic security, sent an email to Joseph MacManus, who subsequently became Clinton’s representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and to top State Department official Patrick Kennedy with the subject line “Threat.”
The text of his message is completely redacted with B6, B7(C), a B7(E) for “disclose investigation techniques,” and a B7(F) code for “endanger life or physical safety of an individual.”
MacManus forwarded the email to Clinton’s “hrod17@clintonemail.com” account and changed the subject line to “Re: Huma.”
Clinton replied, “Thanks for the update and for the peace of mind from the NYPD.”
Security problem with the drinking water in New York City
On July 13, 2011, Simon Stringer, the CEO of the British security company Becatech, sent an email to close Clinton personal friend Marty Torrey with the subject line “Points for Discussion.”
“Typically this is not an easy question to answer,” Stringer wrote. “However, I guess I have three very major concerns with respect to NYC specifically and with the security of drinking water in the United States in general. Taking NYC as the lens through which we focus for the moment…”
Stringer then sent a long block of information that is completely redacted with a B7 (F) code.
“We can do something about this now, quickly, effectively and affordably,” Stringer said:
Or we can try and clean up the mess and throw millions of dollars at it later having potentially lost significant numbers of people. I would think that any politician or state official who is aware of these issues would be duty bound to do something about it. I certainly would not wish to see they trying to explain why they didn’t after the fact. I hope that your discussions are fruitful and that the subject gets the attention it deserves.
Torrey forwarded the message to Clinton’s personal email address “hrod17@clintonemail.com.” Torrey sent the highly classified information on his Verizon Wireless Blackberry. Torrey wrote to Clinton:
H, Attached missive from Simon. Busy as you are, thought you might find interesting. Nobody has grasped this water security issue since you left Senate, so I am giving to Pete King’s Chief of Staff today. Serious issue but on lighter note the gang will raise the orange juice to you Friday morning :-) M
Clinton forwarded the email chain to her State Department aide Monica Hanley, saying, “Pls print.”
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.