WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton did not comply with federal records rules while serving as Secretary of State, an internal State Department audit has concluded.
A report released by the State Department Inspector General was highly critical of Clinton's use of a private email server.
'Secretary Clinton should have preserved any Federal records she created and received on her personal account by printing and filing those records with the related files in the Office of the Secretary,' the report said.
The report added, 'At a minimum, Secretary Clinton should have surrendered all emails dealing with Department business before leaving government service.'
Clinton stepped down as Secretary of State in February of 2013 but did not turn over her emails until receiving a State Department request in December of 2014.
The State Department Inspector General subsequently concluded that Clinton did not comply with policies implemented in accordance with the Federal Records Act.
The report also claimed Clinton failed to seek approval for her use of a private email server and said officials would have rejected her request due to security risks.
Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump is likely to use the report to attack Clinton's use of a private email server, which is also being probed by the FBI.
Clinton has acknowledged that her use of a private email account was a mistake but has argued that she did nothing illegal and did not put classified information at risk.
The audit was also critical of the record keeping practices by previous Secretaries of State, including Republican Colin Powell.
The report was based on interviews with current Secretary of State John Kerry and former secretaries Powell, Madeleine Albright, and Condoleezza Rice, while Clinton and her deputies declined to be interviewed.
(Photo: Gage Skidmore)
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