Musings for November 2016 (sponsored)

As a voter like you, I am listening to, viewing, and reading much on Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. One is well known in Washington politics and the other also well known but outside the Washington beltway in terms of political experience. Both Clinton and Trump are the presumptive Democratic and Republican candidates for president of the United States respectively. Both have fought very contentious campaigns, Both do not carry a high degree of trust with the American voting public, but for different reasons. Both are energetic contenders in a very long campaign cycle, and both are deeply flawed in character and presentation of self to many voters as recent polls indicate. But in time and with patience, the American voter should have more information to work with as the vetting process continues.

Regarding Hillary Clinton first is to recognize that she has made American history as the first female to ever be the presumptive Democratic candidate for president of the United States. As some comment, Hillary has broken the "glass ceiling". She has been a practicing attorney, First Lady of Arkansas 1979-1981, 1983-1992 as wife to Bill Clinton when he served as Governor Clinton, First Lady of the nation , 1993-2001 as wife to President Bill Clinton , Senator from New York 2001-2009,, presidential candidate in 2008, Secretary of State under President Obama from 2009-2013, and now again presidential candidate for 2016. Impressive record. Very tough in politics. Intelligent. Aggressive. But she is under FBI investigation for allegedly mishandling sensitive national security information in her tenure as Secretary of State. This potentially damaging disclosure was first presented by the Associated Press and later detailed by the New York Times in separate articles. All newsrooms reeled and reacted.

On May 25, 2016 in a Fox News interview with Martha MacCallum, on "American Newsroom", Judge Andrew Napolitano of Fox News, said the following, "In referring to the State Department's audit of Hillary Clinton, the IG (Inspector General) for the State Department announced that the audit found Hillary Clinton broke federal rules while Secretary of State." Napolitano called this "devastating" for the Democratic presumptive presidential nominee because the audit directly contradicts Clinton's defense in the FBI's investigation into her private email server. As Napolitano explained, "The heart of her defense was that she complied with all State Department regulations and what the FBI has been doing is just a security review...a review of how the State Department keeps safe the secrets entrusted to it. And Mrs. Clinton flunked that review." Napolitano also goes on to say in that same discussion with MacCallum that Clinton's mishandling of sensitive electronic communications (which she has admitted was a mistake--an error in judgement, and that she would not do it again in that manner) is being regarded as more serious than past secretaries of state because Clinton diverted 100 percent of her emails to her home server.

CNN reporters, Ryan Brown and Evan Perez, noted on May 25, 2016, the same criticism of Clinton's protocol with her private server. CNN reported that the IG wrote in the audit, "At a minimum, Secretary Clinton should have surrendered all emails dealing with State Department business before leaving government service, and because she did not do so, she did not comply with the Department's policies that were implemented in accordance with the Federal Records Act."

In U.S. News, Alex Johnson reported that in the question "Was Clinton's personal server ever hacked?" — her campaign carefully replied that "There is no evidence there ever was a breach". It's clear however that attempts were made as a non-government advisor notified Clinton staffers that her server had been shut down for apparent hacker attacks. Four months later, Clinton herself, according to the IG report, voiced concern that someone might be "hacking into her email".

The Daily Caller reports that "former Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton and her aides could allegedly be hit with 3 felonies for the unauthorized transfer of classified documents by Clinton's private email server. According to this same paper, legal experts were interviewed who gave the legal aspects of the law which were: Section 793, which applies to anyone who has been "entrusted" with information relating to the national defense, and to a federal official who "through gross negligence" permits information to be removed from its proper place of custody or delivered to anyone in violation of his trust to be lost, stolen, abstracted or destroyed; Section 798, which applies to any government official who "knowingly and willfully communicates information to an unauthorized person": Section 1001, which addresses giving "false statements"; and Section 1924, which was used against former CIA Director, David Petraeus, because he shared classified information with his female biographer and mistress, and which could also be used against Clinton and her aides. This legal expertise comes from retired Brig. Gen. Kenneth Bergquist, who served as assistant attorney general at the Justice Department,FBI veteran, Ronald Hasko, who served as assistant director for its criminal division until 2004, and from retired Col. James Waurishuki, an expert in national security who served as a former career senior intelligence officer, National Security Council staff member, and a special operations special mission intelligence officer. Waurishuki stated to the Daily Caller that he believes "It is inconceivable that if it is verified that Hillary Clinton's server contained or had (the most sensitive secrets) on it that she could possibly escape indictment and criminal prosecution."

Certainly this is a complicated legal investigation which is still ongoing. The nation is waiting for the FBI to report to the Justice Department and to Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, an Obama appointee. Voters want the truth. The country needs to deal with the truth whatever that may be. Will Clinton's famous name, her power in politics. and her loyal fan base all be enough to bring her out of this dark campaign shadow which has dogged her from nearly the beginning days of this run for president? There is more time and more information to emerge yet. Her battle is not over.

In the next article/writing Donald Trump will be scrutinized as the Republican presumptive nominee. He too carries political liability, Is it lighter, the same as, or heavier than Clinton's? We'll try to do some unearthing of the facts.

Carol Paz's columns appear exclusively on CarsonNow.org. Please email comments to npazcar@aol.com or visit the Women to Women website at womentowomennv.com. She welcomes your comments.