Hillary Clinton's private email server was hacked by foreign governments
| Hillary Clinton's private email server was hacked by foreign governments | |
|---|---|
| UNSUPPORTED | |
| "Foreign intelligence services, including Russia and China, hacked Hillary Clinton's private email server while she was secretary of state." | |
| Domain | Technology & Internet |
| Tactic | False Context |
| Era | Current |
| First seen | 2015 |
| Origin | Commentators and politicians, including Donald Trump, during the 2016 campaign |
| Last reviewed | 2026-10-29 |
| Further reading: books on Technology & Internet | |
Whether Hillary Clinton's private email server was breached by foreign governments was one of the central questions of the FBI's investigation. In July 2016, FBI Director James Comey said investigators did not find direct evidence that the server was successfully hacked, although they could not rule it out, given that hostile actors had gained access to the accounts of people Clinton corresponded with.
The claim
The claim is often stated as established fact, sometimes with specific countries named as having stolen her emails.
What the evidence shows
- No direct evidence. The FBI found no direct evidence of a successful intrusion into the server itself.
- Real risk. Comey said it was possible hostile actors gained access, noting that the server was not supported by full-time security staff and that Clinton used her personal email extensively abroad.
- Hacked correspondents. Some people Clinton emailed had their accounts compromised, including an adviser whose emails were hacked by a Romanian hacker known as Guccifer.
- Separate hack. The 2016 theft of Democratic National Committee and Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta's emails by Russian military intelligence was a different event, sometimes confused with the server.
Sources
- Federal Bureau of Investigation, statement by Director James B. Comey, July 5, 2016.
- Federal Bureau of Investigation, Clinton E-Mail Investigation summary notes, released September 2016.