WASHINGTON — Secretary of Defense Ash Carter improperly used personal email for Defense Department business, the Pentagon has confirmed.
The statement by Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook, confirming a report by The New York Times, calls the use of Carter's personal email a "mistake" by the secretary.
"After reviewing his email practices earlier this year, the secretary believes that his previous, occasional use of personal email for work-related business, even for routine administrative issues and backed up to his official account, was a mistake," Cook wrote in his statement. "As a result, he stopped such use of his personal email and further limited his use of email altogether. He is confident that his work-related email has been and will continue to be preserved within the federal records system."
In a story released late Wednesday, the Times revealed that the White House learned about Carter's use of his email in May and inquired into it; it appears Carter halted the practice soon after.
In the statement, Cook denied that the secretary shared any classified information in the emails, which were largely sent by an iPad or iPhone according to the Times. Cook also said that any work-related content to Carter's personal account "is copied or forwarded to his official account so it can be preserved as a federal record as appropriate."
The revelations have obvious echoes to the email scandal that continues to dog former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. However, it appears to be on a much smaller scale than the Clinton emails. It remains a black eye for the administration, however, and for Carter personally.
The big question for Carter now is whether these revelations will derail his reform agenda over the next year. Carter's focus has been on dragging the Pentagon into the modern era, both in terms of its internal processes and what technologies it acquires – a plan that requires buy-in from the Hill.
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has already pledged to look into the issue.
"With all the public attention surrounding the improper use of personal email by other administration officials, it is hard to believe that Secretary Carter would exercise the same error in judgment," McCain said in a statement. "The Senate Armed Services Committee has requested copies of the emails and will be conducting a review to ensure that sensitive information was not compromised."
If Carter is forced to testify multiple times about the email issue, it could divert attention away from his goals for the remainder of President Obama's term in office.
Email: amehta@defensenews.com
Twitter: @AaronMehta
Aaron Mehta was deputy editor and senior Pentagon correspondent for Defense News, covering policy, strategy and acquisition at the highest levels of the Defense Department and its international partners.
