Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine got out ahead of his running mate Hillary Clinton when he said during an interview on Thursday that the former secretary of state would agree with FBI director James Comey’s harsh assessment that her use of a private email system was “careless.”
That’s because Clinton directly declined to acknowledge that her email practices were “careless” during an interview last month with Charlie Rose.
CBS’ Norah O’Donnell asked Kaine about Comey’s July 5 remarks, in which he said that he would not recommend that charges be filed against Clinton for mishandling classified information. But Comey was clearly critical of the Democratic presidential candidate. He said that Clinton was “extremely careless” for operating an off-the-books email system on which classified information was sent.
“Yep, he said that, and I think she would acknowledge that,” the vice presidential nominee told O’Donnell. “She said ‘look, it was a mistake.'”
WATCH:
Kaine must not have seen Clinton’s interview with Rose. In the interview she deflected questions about her carelessness and said that she did not know why Comey used the term.
“But was it careless?” Rose asked the former first lady on his PBS show.
“I think you would have to say 300 people who communicated with me on email are among the most careful people I’ve ever had the privilege of working with,” she said.
Asked what Comey meant when he called her “extremely careless,” Clinton played dumb.
“I don’t know,” she said.