Hillary Clinton may have a problem with the American people.
A majority of American voters support a criminal investigation into Clinton’s use of personal emails during her time as secretary of state, according to a new poll. A majority also trust that Clinton, the current 2016 Democratic frontrunner, used personal email—a move that violates current department rules and law—for convenience, not secrecy.
The new Monmouth University poll showed that 52 percent of registered voters believe that Clinton’s emails should be criminally investigated while 41 percent oppose the idea.
The rules against personal email usage exist to preserve transparency, avoid hacks, and provide guidance to the government in the future.
“Putting this material in private hands heightens the risk of leaks, hacks, and blackmail,” Michael Morisy, the founder of transparency organization MuckRock, said when news of Clinton’s emails broke, “and it certainly appears like a calculated ploy to circumvent the Freedom of Information Act. Her actions endangered national security, transparency, and the historical record. They also violate current regulations that are clearly laid out by the National Archives.”
While 51 percent of voters believe Clinton used her emails for convenience, 38 percent said the behavior shows she has things to hide.
That’s a notion that’s been pushed by Republican leadership since the story broke in March.
“[I]t all begs the question: What was Hillary Clinton trying to hide?,” Republican deputy press secretary Raffi Williams told the Daily Dot earlier this year.
The Clinton email story, which is now 5 months old, has been most closely followed by Republicans, according to the survey, although a majority in both parties and independents say they’ve followed the saga.
H/T Politico | Photo via Marc Nozell/Flickr (CC BY ND 2.0)