Russian hacking attempts on former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email account demonstrates her “incompetence,” Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) told Fox News’s Megyn Kelly on Wednesday night.
“The exposure of sensitive information to foreign intelligence agencies by communicating in an unsecure manner is incompetence, it is malpractice, it’s inexcusable,” said Rubio, who is running for president.
{mosads}The Florida lawmaker has been critical of Clinton, the Democratic presidential front-runner, since it was revealed she exclusively used a private email server during her time as secretary of State.
“When this whole thing about the email broke, one of the first things I said is she made susceptible to foreign intelligence agencies sensitive information about U.S. strategy and U.S. policies,” Rubio told Kelly on her program.
On Wednesday night, The Associated Press reported that Russia-linked hackers at least five times sent Clinton an email disguised as a speeding ticket notification. The email asked her to open and print an attached file that would have given the digital intruders access to her account.
“And I bet you it’s not just the Russians,” Rubio added. I don’t know this for sure, but I bet you’re going to find the Chinese, as well. And maybe some other intelligence sources trying to access that as well.”
Rubio, who has gained ground in the polls since a well-received performance in the last GOP presidential debate, said Clinton’s ongoing “lying” about her email setup “is a big deal of course.”
The government is investigating whether any classified information passed through her email during her time in office, but has not accused the former first lady of any wrongdoing. Clinton has denied she handled any such data through her private email.