Clinton Campaign, US DoS Coordinated Email Scandal Response With AP - WikiLeaks

US Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the US Department of State coordinated their efforts to come up with a response plan to the so-called Clinton email scandal with "friendly" journalists at the Associated Press (AP), according to emails released by WikiLeaks.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Clinton has been severely criticized for the use of a private email server and account for official business during her 2009-2013 tenure as secretary of state.

Traveling Press Secretary for Clinton Nick Merrill sent out email to other campaign members including National Press Secretary Brian Fallon on June 24, 2015, revealing the intent to plant a story related to the emails from Clinton Foundation employee Sidney Blumenthal, using "friendly" AP journalists.

"Just spoke to State [Department] a little more about this [response plan]… They [State Department] do not plan to release anything publicly, so no posting online or anything public-facing, just to the committee. That said, they are considering placing a story with a friendly at the AP (Matt Lee or Bradley Klapper), that would lay this out before the majority on the committee has a chance to realize what they have and distort it," the message read.

The information was revealed in a batch of emails of Clinton's campaign chairman John Podesta's published by the whistleblowing website.

RELEASE: The Podesta Emails Part 21 #PodestaEmails #PodestaEmails21 #HillaryClinton https://t.co/wzxeh70oUm pic.twitter.com/kkdyFXmTLD

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) 28 октября 2016 г.

WikiLeaks published the first batch of Podesta's emails on October 8.