Former Secretary of State Colin Powell alleged over the weekend that Hillary Clinton's "people" have attempted to blame the controversial use of her own private email server during her own tenure as head of the State Department on him.
As previously reported, the FBI revealed in notes to Congress regarding its investigation into the Democratic presidential nominee's private server use that she claimed that Powell was the one who encouraged her to use a personal email.
In a statement Friday, Powell said he did email Clinton a "memo describing his use of his personal AOL email account for unclassified messages and how it vastly improved communications within the State Department."
"At the time, there was no equivalent system within the Department," Powell, who served under former President George W. Bush from 2001-2005, contended.
Mickey Edelsten, Colin Powell and Jo Carole Lauder attend the Apollo in the Hamptons 2016 party on Saturday at The Creeks in East Hampton, New York. (Getty Images/Patrick McMullan)
Powell told Page Six Saturday at an event in the Hamptons that Clinton was using her own private server for a year before he even sent the memo to her.
"Her people have been trying to pin it on me," Powell said.
Page Six reported that Powell "appear[ed] angered by the situation," although he asserted that he's "okay" and "free."
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