The head of the National Security Agency told a Senate Committee on Thursday that Hillary Clinton’s former email setup would be an “opportunity” for the USA if it had been used by a top foreign diplomat.
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Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) questioned whether Cotton’s inquiries were relevant to the Foreign Intelligence Committee.
“From a foreign intelligence perspective, that represents opportunity”, he said.
The USA may, however, be able to work directly with countries like China and Russian Federation to develop acceptable practices when it comes to Internet activity, Rogers said.
Despite national security concerns raised by the NSA and other federal agencies, U.S. technology companies continue providing users with encryption tools.
“They clearly don’t have the same lines in the sand, if you will, with that regard”, Rogers said.
Critics have long feared that Clinton’s decision to go outside of the State Department’s normal email protocol posed a security risk to the nation by making it easier for foreign spies to crack into her messages and steal potentially crucial diplomatic secrets.
Rogers: “I’m not aware of whether they did or didn’t sir”.
“To your knowledge”, Cotton began, “did the State Department ever ask the NSA about the wisdom of setting up a private server so Secretary Clinton could conduct official State Department business?”
Rogers: “You really want to drag me into this one?” Rogers answered. Then he said he would advise the secretary to comply with any applicable regulations.
But he acknowledged to Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton that the communications of senior USA officials are highly sought after by foreign intelligence agencies. Investigators have determined that Clinton sent and received classified information from her private account.
Rogers, stressing that he wasn’t there at the time and had no idea, told Cotton he would check his records and get back to him.
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“I don’t see the relevance of that to this committee”, Feinstein said after Cotton’s questions, “however that’s just my opinion”.
