Despite party affiliation, Kentucky political leaders agree that democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton made a mistake by using a private email account to conduct official business while serving as secretary of state.
On Tuesday morning, the FBI announced that it would not recommend Clinton face charges for the behavior, saying that "no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case."
Still, FBI Director James Comey criticized Clinton and her aides for being "extremely careless" in their handling of classified information.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul went on a social media tirade after the announcement, calling it an “outrage” and saying “the rule of law has been turned upside down.”
“Today Director Comey and the Obama Administration Department of Justice made it clear to the American people, and all those being unfairly prosecuted by the DOJ, that there is no accountability, no justice, and the Clintons are allowed to live by a different set of rules,” Paul said in a Facebook post.
The announcement came days after the revelation that former President Bill Clinton had met privately with Attorney General Loretta Lynch, an event which Paul criticized as “terrible.”
“People have gone to jail for less severe breaches of classified information and national security,” Paul said.
Paul is running for reelection to his Senate seat after a failed presidential bid.
His Democratic opponent in the race, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, also criticized Clinton’s use of private email accounts, but with more muted language.
“Secretary Clinton's use of personal e-mail was a mistake," Gray said in a statement. "There is no room for carelessness at that level, especially when it comes to classified information. However, the independent investigation is over, and my campaign is focused on the priorities of Kentuckians.”
Clinton’s campaign spokesman Brian Fallon said in a statement Tuesday that the campaign was “pleased” with the FBI’s announcement.
"As the Secretary has long said, it was a mistake to use her personal email and she would not do it again," Fallon said. "We are glad that this matter is now resolved."
Democratic Rep. John Yarmuth, who represents the 3rd Congressional District, said he agreed with Clinton’s assessment that using private servers was a “mistake.”
“While investigators concluded that nothing the Secretary did was illegal or intentionally deceitful, she has made clear that her use of private email was a huge mistake. I agree with her,” Yarmuth said in a statement.
