Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) said Wednesday that controversy over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server may derail her Democratic presidential bid.
“I just never feel I have a grasp of what the facts are. But clearly, she has handled it poorly from the first day. And there’s the appearance of dishonesty, if it’s not dishonest,” he said during an interview with local ABC affiliate WHAS.
“I still think there is a chance this could upend her campaign,” Yarmuth said.
Clinton has defended her use of a private server during her time as secretary of State on the campaign trail since it was revealed publicly in March. But the Democratic presidential front-runner has come under renewed scrutiny the past several weeks amid a federal probe into her email arrangement.
A top Clinton aide said Wednesday that the former secretary “didn’t really think it through” and would have acted differently if she could again.
Yarmuth, who recently made headlines for being among a select number of lawmakers chosen for a golf outing with President Obama, suggested the email flap could affect her White House bid.
“I think if she intentionally misled or lied to the American people and did something that was clearly against rules, and knowingly did it against rules, if that is the ultimate conclusion, then I think she has disqualified herself,” Yarmuth told WHAS.