An FBI probe into whether Hillary Clinton mishandled classified information on her private server has been described as “extremely serious” and has required the help of the agency’s best investigators.
The investigation, which Clinton has dismissed as a routine “security inquiry,” is examining a possible violation of the Espionage Act, according to a report by Fox News.
Investigators are looking to see whether Clinton should have been aware of the sensitive nature of emails circulating on her private network, regardless of whether the emails were marked classified.
Clinton has repeatedly defended her handling of the material by claiming none of the emails were marked classified at the time they were sent.
But intelligence experts say the absence of markings wouldn’t absolve an official of responsibility if he or she stumbled upon national defense information that should be classified.
Scrutiny of Clinton’s email activities has heated up since the FBI took custody of Clinton’s private server earlier this month.
The State Department is set to release thousands of Clinton’s emails Monday, with a handful expected to be designated classified before publication. Dozens of the former secretary’s emails have already been marked classified.
