Re: Here's the math that does not add up
Having a private server is perfectly legal. Using one to conduct federal business generally is not. The exception would be systems that are certified and accredited by the appropriate federal official who, in the case of the State Department, was the CIO. Lest anyone raise the question, that has been the law since 2002 or before. According to the DoS Inspector General's report earlier this year, the CIO stated he was unaware of Clinton's use of the private server (which seems depressingly like he was on what we used to call "indoor annual leave") and that he had not and would not have approved it if he knew. Relevant citation: FISMA (2002_ - 44 U.S.C. § 3551, et seq. along with Chapter 35 generally.
Influence peddling may or may not be illegal. Done by an official in exchange for cash or objects of more than nominal value, it generally is illegal. For the federal civil service, the usual limit was set at $10 - anything of greater value might be considered a bribe. Jimmy Dimora, former Cuyahoga County (OH) commissioner, is working on a 28 year sentence at the Beckley federal prison in Beaver, WV. In many cases, Clinton's probably included, the normal favor granting activities, such as arranging for access, are legal, but those who exceed limits, or who come to be seen as deplorable human beings, as Dimora did, can be prosecuted. As in most such things, prosecutors have a lot of discretion.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
