CRI听力:Hillary Responds to Email Controversy after Week-long Silence

Hillary Says Using Personal Email is Allowed During Her Time of Duty 

Following a week of silence, Hillary Clinton has stepped-up to address the issue.

She says her use of a personal email account was still allowed under the rules during her time as Secretary of State.

"When I got to work as Secretary of State I opted for convenience to use my personal email account which was allowed by the State Department, because I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal emails instead of two. Looking back, it would have been better if I simply used a second email account and carried a second phone, but at the time it didn't seem like an issue."

Clinton also contends her business-related emails were automatically archived on the government server, and are accessible to the public.

The US State Department is currently in the process of declassifying some 55-thousand pages of printed emails.

However, in making the documents public, Clinton is refusing suggestions a third party be allowed to scrutinize the documents.

"The server contains personal communications from my husband and me. And I believe I have met all of my responsibilities. And the server will remain private."

Clinton's use of personal email came to light as part of the Republican-led investigation into the terrorist attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya in 2012 which left four American's dead, including Ambassador Christoper Stephens.

Republicans have long-accused both Clinton, the perceived Democratic nominee for President, as well as the White House, of covering up details of the attack after-the-fact.

Xiaohong, CRI, Washington DC.