×

Clinton’s under-whelming defense

Hillary Clinton’s defense against overwhelming evidence she broke the law requiring her to keep national security information secret amounts to what a teenager might say after getting a parking ticket. It just isn’t fair, Clinton says.

After another release last week of evidence Clinton used her private email server to handle top-secret information, her presidential campaign spokesman had this reaction: “This appears to be over-classification run amok.” In other words, the State Department and intelligence agencies labeled too much information top secret when that was not necessary. Again, that is something like a teen driver insisting he parked illegally in a space for handicapped drivers because the designation was not really needed.

But “over-classification” is not Clinton’s problem. Whatever the rationale for labeling information secret, it was designated as such – and she knew that. As secretary of state, she knowingly broke the law regarding how top-secret information is safeguarded.

Ignorance of the law is no defense, it has been said. Even more so, as any judge would – and may, in the near future – remind Clinton, disagreement with the law is no defense, either.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $2.99/week.

Subscribe Today