GOP hits Clinton on email setup during Benghazi hearing

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was confronted with numerous questions about her personal email system during her marathon testimony Thursday before the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

Roughly 10 hours into Clinton’s appearance, committee Republicans demanded that she explain the controversial email situation, which drew a quick scolding from panel Democrats.

{mosads}“We believe the record might be incomplete, in part, because your version of events surrounding your email situation keeps changing,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) charged.

“We want the record so we can get to the truth,” he added.

“It seems like there’s a pattern” Jordan told Clinton, “a pattern of changing your story.”

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) also chimed in, noting that “the thing that bothers me is because it was a personal server” over which she “had full control.”

The line of questioning broke with Republicans’ pledge to steer clear of Clinton’s email unless it intersected their investigation into the 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, that left four Americans dead.

“Our committee is the committee on Benghazi, not the committee on emails,” Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) told reporters in September.

Democrats were quick to cry foul.

“I’m sorry, but what does this have to do with what happened in Benghazi?” Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) said, interrupting Jordan. “When are we going to get there?”

“I feel like channeling Bernie Sanders here tonight,” added Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), referring to the Vermont senator’s dismissal of the subject during the initial Democratic presidential debate last week. “But I’m no Larry David, and I know I wouldn’t do it right.”

Clinton has been criticized repeatedly for exclusively using a personal email address and private server during her tenure as the nation’s top diplomat.

Last year, she handed over to the government roughly half of the 60,000 emails on that server. She deleted the rest, saying they were personal.

Clinton’s lawyers personally reviewed the emails, she said, and also used search terms to determine which emails were work-related and which were personal.

“I did not look over their shoulders because I thought it was be appropriate for them to conduct that search, and they did,” she said.

“You must have some of the fastest-reading attorneys in the world to go through that,” said Westmoreland. “How many attorneys does it take to go through 65,000 emails in two months?”

Clinton’s server is currently in the hands of the FBI, which is investigating the possible mishandling of sensitive information.