Ivanka Trump sent hundreds of emails about government business on personal account: report
Ivanka Trump reportedly violated federal records rules by sending emails to government officials on her personal account in 2017, according to a new report from The Washington Post.
It said that Trump, a White House adviser and the president’s eldest daughter, sent hundreds of emails about White House business and her official schedule to administration aides, Cabinet officials and her personal assistants.
{mosads}White House ethics officials discovered this as they reviewed emails gathered last fall by five Cabinet agencies. The agencies were gathering the emails as they prepared to respond to a public records lawsuit.
In their review, the officials found that Trump discussed business from the White House while using a private email account, the Post said.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.
The revelation immediately raised parallels to Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server when she worked as secretary of State.
Clinton’s use of the server was a major issue in the 2016 presidential campaign, and former FBI Director James Comey’s decision to reopen an investigation just a week before Election Day was a turning point in her battle with President Trump.
President Trump also used Clinton’s use of a personal email repeatedly as an attack line. Crowds at his rallies continue to chant “Lock her up” in reference, in part, to the email server controversy.
Ivanka Trump responded to the finding by saying that she was unaware of some details of the records rules, people with knowledge of her reaction told the Post.
A spokesman for Trump attorney and ethics counsel Abbe Lowell, Peter Mirijanian, told the Post that Ivanka Trump used her private email to discuss government business before being briefed about the rules.
“While transitioning into government, after she was given an official account but until the White House provided her the same guidance they had given others who started before she did, Ms. Trump sometimes used her personal account, almost always for logistics and scheduling concerning her family,” he said in a statement.
He added that Ivanka Trump turned over her emails about government-related business months ago. Mirijanian also said Ivanka Trump’s personal email use differed from Clinton’s.
“Ms. Trump did not create a private server in her house or office, no classified information was ever included, the account was never transferred at Trump Organization, and no emails were ever deleted,” Mirijanian said.
The Post notes that Clinton had a similar reaction to the revelation about her private email server. However, Clinton’s case differed in that she relied solely on a private email system for official emails while serving in the Obama administration.
The Post said Ivanka Trump sent less than 100 emails on her private server regarding official business, with other emails to personal assistants about her travel arrangements and White House schedule.
— Updated 7:12 p.m.