Donald Trump’s Vice-President Mike Pence used private email while governor and was hacked

US Vice-President Mike Pence used a private email account to conduct public business as governor of Indiana, his office has confirmed.

Key points:

• Pence’s account was hacked early last year through a phishing scam
• He used the account to discuss sensitive matters including homeland security issues
• Mr Pence’s office has labelled comparisons to the Clinton email scandal “absurd”

The private email account was first reported by the Indianapolis Star, who said Mr Pence used the AOL account — which had been hacked — at times to discuss sensitive matters including homeland security issues during his four years as governor.

“Similar to previous governors, during his time as governor of Indiana, Mike Pence maintained a state email account and a personal email account,” Mr Pence’s office said in a statement.

As President Donald Trump’s running mate in the 2016 election, Mr Pence frequently criticised rival Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server as secretary of state under Barack Obama, accusing her of purposely keeping her emails out of public reach and shielding her from scrutiny.

The Vice-President’s spokesman, Marc Lotter, called the comparison “absurd” because Mrs Clinton had set up a private server in her home at the start of her tenure at the State Department and, unlike Mrs Clinton, Mr Pence did not handle any classified material as Indiana’s governor.

But the governor’s account faced security issues.

Source: Donald Trump’s Vice-President Mike Pence used private email while governor and was hacked – Donald Trump’s America – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)