IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Party lines drawn over Hillary Clinton's private email account

Criticisms over Hillary Clinton's use of a private email account while serving as Secretary of State has sparked conflict on the Capitol Hill.
Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton answers media questions after keynoting a Women's Empowerment Event at the United Nations on March 10, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Yana Paskova/Getty)
Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton answers media questions after keynoting a Women's Empowerment Event at the United Nations on March 10, 2015 in New York City.

Criticisms over Hillary Clinton's use of a private email account while serving as Secretary of State has sparked conflict on the Capitol Hill between Clinton's strongest supporters and many opponents within the House Benghazi committee seeking to find fault in her actions on the night of September 11, 2012.

Members of the Benghazi committee are demanding the public release of her email server, and feel it is this is relevant to finding questionable information that has not been answered on the night the attacks in Benghazi took place. “We want to make sure we get access to every email that has any facts relevant to our investigation,” Rep. Mike Pompeo, a member of the House Select Committee on Benghazi, told Andrea Mitchell on msnbc Wednesday.

But Clinton, who is widely expected to make a formal decision on whether she'll run for president in 2016, has also drawn support from the left, with many Democrats saying Clinton's use of a private email account do not signal poor leadership.

"Here is the deal: either you are going to listen to her or not," Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer said on Andrea Mitchell Reports Wednesday. "If you don’t believe her, then don’t vote for her. People will go after Hillary Clinton for a number of reasons, usually quite partisan.

She concluded, "I am ready for Hillary. I am.”

But could Clinton's privacy become too large of an issue heading into a possible presidential campaign? Msnbc's Rachel Maddow pointed out Wednesday that the former secretary of state's relationship with the press could be a challenge. "There's a real question as to whether or not Hillary Clinton gets vetted effectively and fairly [as a Democratic candidate in 2016," Maddow said.