Struggle to defend Hillary Clinton's email by Democrats

 

Democrats struggled Wednesday to defend Hillary Clinton’s email practices in the wake of her first public remarks on the matter, while Republicans threatened to use subpoena power to get the information they are demanding.

 

After Clinton on Tuesday acknowledged deleting 30,000 emails that she said were personal, backers were left with little to say beyond urging voters to take her word for it.

“In the end, you either trust the Clintons or you don’t trust the Clintons,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.). “And I fundamentally trust her.”

Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) said Clinton has “said she complied with all the federal laws. There is nothing I know that counters that. She is doing what I had hoped she would do, and that is to make a full disclosure.”

The Democrats’ comments came as party members accepted the email issue will likely dog their expected 2016 nominee into her presidential campaign.

Democrats do not think Clinton’s often defensive news conference Wednesday will end the scandal, but are hoping they can close ranks and give attacks a partisan appearance.

 

Clinton’s potential Democratic rivals avoided attacking her Wednesday.

“I’m frankly a little sick of the email drama,” former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, who is eyeing a 2016 bid, said while adding that he didn’t see her press conference and therefore couldn’t comment on what she had said.

“This is an issue for the media in D.C.,” Sen. Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who is considering a challenge to Clinton from the left, told the Daily News. “This is not a major issue in Vermont.”

Clinton’s camp reached out in recent days to Democrats and progressive groups to address concerns about the email scandal, with longtime Hillary aide Huma Adedin and spokesman Nick Merrill contacting lawmakers.

There was no indication Clinton had personally reached out to Democrats.

“I’m satisfied with what I’ve received,” Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) said.

Republicans aren’t.

“My sense of trust is a little bit lost,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), a likely 2016 candidate, said Wednesday on NBC. She was supposed to put the emails on a government server and she didn’t, and now she says . . . ‘trust me now that the ones I deleted weren’t pertinent.’ ”

Rep. Trey Gowdy, the South Carolina Republican who chairs a House committee investigating the 2012 Benghazi attack, said Wednesday that he wants an independent review of Clinton’s email server, which Clinton has said she will not make available. Gowdy acknowledged he lacked power to force Clinton to release control of her server.

Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who chairs the House Oversight Committee, said his panel will seek access to the electronic versions of Clinton’s emails, not just printed copies, and was prepared to issue a subpoena if necessary.

A spokeswoman said Chaffetz plans to send the State Department a letter on Friday requesting Clinton’s emails, and will subpoena them if necessary.

“Subpoenaing Hillary Clinton is not the chairman’s initial preference, but the committee retains the authority to do so,” said Chaffetz spokeswoman Melissa Subbotin.