5 Mar 2015

How long will the US wait to see Hillary Clinton’s emails?

Hillary Clinton breaks her silence over her use of personal email for work when she was secretary of state, but it could be months before the emails are released, officials say.

Mrs Clinton’s statement was aimed at cooling a political firestorm over allegations that she inappropriately used her personal email for work while secretary of state from 2009 to 2013.

“I want the public to see my email,” the potential 2016 presidential candidate said in a tweet. “I asked State to release them. They said they will review them for release as soon as possible.”

A total of 55,000 pages of material covering the time Mrs Clinton was in office has been turned over, according to the State Department. However, offical sources said on Friday that it could be months before the emails are released.

“The review is likely to take several months given the sheer volume of the document set,” the official said.

The controversy has landed Mrs Clinton in trouble just as she is planning to launch a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. It has prompted some Democrats to wonder whether someone else should be their candidate in the bid to succeed President Barack Obama.