Inspector general cites Caroline Kennedy for using private email

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy used her personal email for official business despite a State Department policy advising employees generally to avoid this, an internal audit released on Tuesday said.

According to a report by the Office of Inspector General of the State Department, a recent inspection on the work of the Tokyo embassy found that private email accounts were used to send and receive messages for official business purposes.

“As well as, OIG identified situations where emails labeled Sensitive still Unclassified have been sent from, or received by, personal email accounts”, the report stated.

“Employees are also expected to use approved, secure methods to transmit sensitive but unclassified information when available and practical”, the OIG document said.

Kirby also noted that the report was focused on an overall review of the U.S. embassy in Japan, not exclusively the use of Ambassador Kennedy’s email.

In May, Secretary of State John Kerry asked the inspector general to review several issues related to personal e-mail use across the department.

“In accordance with department policy, the mission requires the use of official email accounts to conduct official business whenever possible”, Kirby said.

The watchdog report said that Kennedy’s practices were against State Department policy and put the agency at risk.

“Such risks include data loss, hacking, phishing, and spoofing of email accounts, as well as inadequate protections for personally identifiable information”, the report says.

However, Kennedy’s “high visibility” has “strained a number of programs at the embassy”.

The report did not appear to suggest a serious information breach. “Kennedy’s leadership”.

At a press briefing in Washington, department spokesman John Kirby defended the embassy and its illustrious ambassador. “We recognize there are circumstances where there may be no other choice”. He said classified information was not sent by private email, and that Kennedy did not use a personal email server. During the past eight months, it says, four of seven officers in the public affairs section have left their posts before the end of the assigned tour dates.