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New Clinton emails offer glimpse of post-Benghazi scramble

State Department satisfies court order to release one third of emails from Clinton's private server.

By Ann Marie Awad
The State Department released the last load of Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails from her private server. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
The State Department released the last load of Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's emails from her private server. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (UPI) -- In the largest release so far, the State Department put out more than 5,000 of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's personal emails.

About 325 of the emails have been deemed "classified," with just one containing information considered to be "secret" according to The Washington Times. The paper reported the latest batch included the highest percentage of such emails so far.

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The State Department told CBS that the classified emails did not necessarily contain information considered to be classified at the time Clinton sent them. The FBI is currently investigating whether or not State Department staffers included classified material in emails to Clinton.

Monday's release is part of an ongoing Freedom of Information Act review being conducted by the State Department, which began in May. The department has now met a court-ordered mandate which states that one third of the 52,000 pages of emails Clinton made available from her private server be made public by Nov. 30.

The new batch of emails spans much of 2012 and 2013, according to NBC. They provide insight into Clinton's response immediately following the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya.

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One such email includes talking points saying demonstrations in Benghazi were "spontaneously inspired" by protests at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, Egypt. The email includes a warning that talking points could change as more information became available on the ground.

Other emails from that time offer a glimpse into political discussions between Clinton and longtime aide Sid Blumenthal. In advance of the 2012 Florida primary, Clinton refers to Mitt Romney as "Mittens" and Newt Gingrich as "Grinch," saying:

"If Mittens can't beat Grinch in Florida, there will be pressure on state Republican parties to reopen or liberalize ballot access especially in the caucuses, which as we know are creatures of the parties' extremes."

The emails released so far are searchable on the State Department website.

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