The latest batch of Hillary Clinton emails gives insight into technical issues and her professional relationships among other things. | AP Photo The 23 must-read emails from Clinton's inbox From tensions with the White House to a troublesome fax machine, here are the most notable messages from the more than 50,000 pages released.

The State Department released the final haul of Hillary Clinton's emails from her time as secretary of state on Monday — the eve of Super Tuesday — closing one chapter on the scandal that has shaded her campaign from the beginning.

The document dumps that started last May under a court order have provided a glimpse into how Clinton relied heavily upon her top aides, received over-the-top flattery on a regular basis, vented about frustrations with the Obama White House, and struggled with technology woes.


The controversy over her exclusive use of a private email account and server during her four years at Foggy Bottom is by no means over due to an FBI investigation into the unusual set-up.

But with 14 separate releases and more than 50,000 pages worth of emails behind us (of which more than 2,000 were later deemed classified at some level), POLITICO has compiled the 23 must-read email chains from Clinton's time at State.

1. Fax machine issues

In the first, but certainly not the last of Clinton's documented technology struggles, the secretary of state corresponded with aide Huma Abedin to figure out how to set up a fax line.

“I thought it was supposed to be off hook to work?” Clinton remarked, in a December 2009 email chain. “Yes but hang up one more time. So they can reestablish the line,” Abedin replied.

“Just pick up phone and hang it up. And leave it hung up,” Abedin said in a follow-up message. “Still nothing,” Clinton wrote back.

2. The help desk saga

A help desk analyst at State sent a message to Clinton’s personal email account in February 2010, informing its owner that one of the department's "customers" was receiving "permanent fatal errors" from the address. Clinton then forwarded the email to Abedin, who replied that the help desk "had no idea it was YOU, just some random address so they emailed.”

"But regardless, means ur email must be back! R u getting other messages?" Abedin asked. Clinton responded: "I've gotten some messages from yesterday — how about you?"

3. BlackBerry 'problems'

Clinton’s issues with receiving and sending email from her BlackBerry persisted throughout 2010, with the secretary of state writing to adviser Jake Sullivan to that effect.

Clinton forwarded the response from Sullivan to Abedin, who said she would look into it, although the exact subject is unclear because of redactions.

"We fixed it both ways," she wrote, in making sure that systemwide, "anyone with a clintonemail.com [address]" would be able to get through the spam filter and to individual computers.

4. "Pls don't forward my last email"

In a January 2010 message to chief of staff Cheryl Mills and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, Clinton warned the recipients not to forward the previous email she sent. The reason for the instruction is unclear, as the email is redacted.

"Cheryl and Raj — I sent you emails [redacted] forward to anyone and delete after reading. Thx. before removing their email info so pls do not," Clinton wrote.

5. Feeling left out

In June 2009, Clinton wrote to her aides asking to account for an apparent lack of communication between the White House and State.

“I arrived for the 10:15 mtg and was told there was no mtg. Matt said they had ‘released’ the time. This is the second time this has happened. What’s up???” she asked.

Abedin’s response indicated that the White House was not communicating when certain meetings have been canceled.

“I will start calling Matt before small groups to confirm,” Jake Sullivan said.

In the following month’s release, Mills passed along an email chain to Clinton that was sent to State employees linking to a Reuters report on President Barack Obama’s new global food security proposal.

“FYI — this is not us doing this,” Mills wrote in passing.

6. Blumenthal emails on "post-midterms strategy"

Throughout the course of the email releases, perhaps no name generated more interest than that of Sid Blumenthal, a longtime Clinton family friend and confidant who furnished the secretary of state with what she had suggested was unsolicited intelligence, despite emails to the contrary, including those in which she told him to “keep 'em coming.”

From foreign policy advice to giving his own take on the state of both the 2010 and 2012 elections, Blumenthal was not shy about sharing his opinions and intelligence with his longtime friend.

On Election Day 2010, the day Republican candidates swept the party to its best showing in a national election in 16 years, Blumenthal laid out the state of play with ascendant House Speaker John Boehner.

"Boehner is despised by the younger, more conservative members of the House Republican Conference. They are repelled by his personal behavior," Blumenthal wrote, showing disdain for the Ohio Republican. "He is louche, alcoholic, lazy, and without any commitment to any principle. Boehner has already tried to buy the members with campaign contributions and committee assignments, which he has already promised to potentially difficult members."

7. Blumenthal on the tea party

Two months before the election that saw the tea party emerge as an electoral force, Blumenthal emailed Clinton a three-page memo titled "Some paragraphs on the tea party."

In it, Blumenthal characterized the Republican Party as "captive to the swamp fevers of the extreme right" and being "purged of moderates, responsible conservatives, anyone who has a thought they don't like."

“President Obama is their target because the people have put him in his office and he stands in the way of the extremists. They are against him precisely because he's making progress,” he wrote, in part. “And progress is not what they want. They want power for themselves. So they will say anything to tear down the President. But they are at war with more than President Obama. They are at war with President Andrew Jackson. That's how far back they want to go. They want to go back the 1830s. They want to go back to before the Civil War.”

The previous week, Blumenthal offered his advice on her strategy toward Israel, writing in the subject line "an idea, perhaps useless, but nonetheless.”

“This may be worthless meandering on my part, but if the US unveils its own position in the new negotiations, inevitable if they are not to collapse, perhaps that position should incorporate at its heart what the Israeli government has already agreed to in the final status negotiations at Camp David, along, of course, with certain adjustments arid amendments to account for the past ten years in terms of boundaries, etc,” he said, concluding that it would make the U.S. look more reasonable.

"Not useless — thx," Clinton responded. "Don't operate from blank slate or allow Bibi to set the terms. There are already terms," Blumenthal wrote later.

Clinton also appreciated Blumenthal’s insight into the British parliament elections in May 2010. “I shared your emails w Bill who thought they were ‘brilliant’! Keep 'em coming when you can,” she wrote.

Testifying before the Benghazi Committee in October 2015, Clinton flatly denied the notion that Blumenthal was the primary source of her foreign policy intelligence, with particular respect to Libya.

8. Mittens and the Grinch

Following Newt Gingrich’s surprise victory in the South Carolina Republican primary in January 2012, Blumenthal wrote a message to Clinton about the state about the race. Clinton derisively referred to eventual GOP nominee Mitt Romney and Gingrich as “Mittens” and the “Grinch,” respectively.

"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,” Clinton wrote on Jan. 22, 2012. Her remark about the caucuses resurfaced ahead of the Iowa caucuses in February 2016, though she pulled out a narrow victory in the state.

9. Embassy security

Abedin broke down the situation of increased security measures at embassies in Kabul and Islamabad in an April 2009 message to her boss. Upon its release in late October, the email drew notice as one of the moments Clinton was directly briefed on embassy security during her time as secretary,

"In the short-term, we are doubling the number of employees at the embassies in Afghanistan and Pakistan -- these are accommodations and office space not just for STATE but for other agencies like USAID, USDA, DOD," Abedin wrote, going on to delineate plans for military facilities and security plans.

10. Harkin and Menendez emails



In the summer of 2009, Clinton’s State Department appears to have heard overtures from then-Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), who was trying to help one of his daughters secure employment with the agency.

“[Redacted] has called into the Secretary about his daughter, [redacted] and the status of her pending employment at the State Department,” wrote one State aide to Abedin and Mills. “[Redacted] has been in touch with Heather, but Senator [redacted] called today to raise this to the Secretary’s level.”

A few weeks later, a Clinton assistant emailed aides Heather Samuelson, Mills and Abedin asking Samuelson to update Abedin on the situation.

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) also had his chief of staff send multiple emails to Mills about an unhappy ambassadorial appointee.

“There has been considerable confusion around [redacted] role and responsibilities [redacted],” Connor O'Brien wrote in an Oct. 22, 2009 email. “The bottom line is that [redacted] was led to believe the appointment would come with more responsibilities … She is anxious to serve in a larger capacity than present. The Senator is hopeful the commitments made to [redacted] can be fulfilled, even if she were to be given a different portfolio.

O'Brien followed up two weeks later, receiving a short response from Mills two days later. On Dec. 1, he emailed again to check in on the situation.

11. Clinton agrees with idea to publicize the use of personal accounts

Amid ongoing concerns about email hacking and civilian technology raised by adviser Anne-Marie Slaughter, Clinton wrote in June 2011 that it might be a good idea to publicize the fact that high-level State Department officials were using personal email accounts to conduct official business.

"I think this makes good sense," the secretary wrote in response to a proposal from adviser Slaughter, who said that someone should "make a statement" or "write an op-ed" to make that point.

Mills wrote back early the next morning, saying that former employees would be better to do the publicizing than current ones. She explained that it could be a bad idea to "telegraph how much folks do or don't do off state mail b/c it may encourage others who are out there."

"I take this point — Jake also has concerns. Perhaps a better approach is to make the point more quietly to legislators through H," Slaughter responded.

12. No more snow days?

The night before a snowstorm dumped 10 inches on Washington in February 2010, Clinton mocked the government’s decision to close its offices for another day.

"I can't believe the govt is closed again. I guess I will work from home again but think this is silly," she wrote.

The snowfall came a week after the previous week's "Snowmageddon" event snarled the region.

13. Must be the Chinese

Clinton and Mills’ assistant Nora Toiv exchanged a few confused messages about emails, after Toiv emailed Abedin and Clinton with information for her Gmail address information.

"That's all I have--pls send me your state address. Thx." Clinton replied.

"You've always emailed me on my State email which is [email protected]," Toiv answered.

"Even weirder--I just checked and I do have your state but not your gmail--so how did that happen," the secretary pondered. "Must be the Chinese!"

14. No pleasing Bibi

A May 2011 email exchange with longtime Chicago friend Betsy Ebeling ran the gamut, from comments about gardening to Sabra brand hummus.

Ebeling began the chain by sending Clinton an article to the Chicago Sun-Times reporting on students at DePaul University urging the university to reconsider banning the hummus brand as part of a plan to destroy Israel.

“I love Sabra hummus--whatever that means!” Clinton replied. Ebeling then suggested that she share the article with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The first part of Clinton’s response to that message is redacted, though she continued, “But, even the allure of Mother Moon in all her glory is unlikely to impress the PM. Everything is s000 hard and not nearly as gratifying as planting your garden. Much love to you, sweet pea xxoo”

15. Unbelievable Bibi

In mid-November 2010, Mills forwarded to Clinton a series of messages between her and Slaughter while the secretary of state was on a call with Netanyahu.

"So you know what is coming your way - read from bottom up," Mills told Clinton, in forwarding the chain, which is largely unredacted.

"Unbelievable--I am still on [with] Bibi which is equally so," the secretary of state responded.

16. Abedin and Mills spar on personnel issue

Two of the secretary's closest confidantes, exchanged a series of pointed messages in October 2010 over a personnel issue that appears to involve the Secret Service.

"[redacted] just filled me in on your conversations. I would have appreciated a chance to discuss this before it was finalized. He has been a HUGE asset protecting our interests and balancing usss politics," Abedin wrote, using a a common acronym for the United States Secret Service.

"He has gone above and beyond in every way and anyone more stringent will make our life and travel more complicated. Starting from scratch with someone else is going to be challenging," Abedin added.

The next day, Mills responded, in a message that is partially redacted, "Huma: I am always happy to discuss organizational and personnel matters, we can do that in person rather than on email."

17. "What does 'fubar' mean?"

In a December 2010 email chain, Clinton showed her ignorance of the meaning of the term “FUBAR” in another heavily redacted series of exchanges.

The acronym, which stands for f----d up beyond all recognition, “is unprintable on civil email,” Mills responded back.

Clinton had no follow-ups in 2012 after Sullivan said a situation in Egypt “remains FUBAR.”

18. Riding w/ HRC

Top Clinton adviser Philippe Reines emailed staff members shortly after 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning in July 2012 to remark that they had not appreciated an intricate, yet tongue-in-cheek flow chart he appeared to have made to decide who gets to ride with the secretary in the car.

Abedin ranked at the top of the chart, with a succession of options following if she was not available to accompany Clinton.

19. 'send nonsecure'

An email chain released in early January drew particularly intense scrutiny. In it, Clinton instructed staffers to send her a set of talking points via non-secure email in June 2011. Sullivan indicated that staff members were having difficulty sending secure faxes at the time.

The full context of the exchange is unclear because of redactions, but Clinton explained following the release of the email that she was not asking staff members to send any classified material by non-secure means.

20. 'Who does he work for now?'

Even though she was using a personal email address and her own server to conduct official State business, Clinton indicated surprise at the idea that a lower-ranking staffer might be doing something similar. In a February 2011 email chain, Sullivan forwarded a memo from State employee John Godfrey laying out information regarding Libya and its leader, Muammar Qadhafi.

"Worth a read. This guy is very thoughtful," Sullivan wrote to Clinton, who responded by asking where he worked. When Sullivan told her that he worked at State, Clinton had more questions. "Is he in [the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs] currently? Or was he in Embassy?" she asked. "I was surprised that he used personal email account if he is at State."

21. ‘info sharing not your friend’

"Just goes to show, info sharing not your friend," Clinton wrote to Mills in July 2009. The contents of the email are comparatively mundane, however, and did not necessarily reflect an adverseness to transparency. At the time, the secretary of state was planning the administration’s initiative on food security.

The context of the email or what made Clinton write that response is unclear, and she eventually gave the speech at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York on September 25, 2009.

22. “Is it sort of like W and beach volleyball?”

Kurt Campbell, one of Clinton’s top deputies, sent a dispatch recounting his travels with Vice President Joe Biden in China in an August 2011 email exchange.

"What an adventure,” the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific Affairs declared in the subject line, going on to call the experience “like a Disney ride with dips and spins and surprises around every bend.”

"Is it sort of like W and beach volleyball?" Clinton asked in response, referring to Bush’s trip to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

As he chatted with members of the U.S. beach volleyball team, the president slapped one player on her backside, after she apparently asked him to do so.

"There's no talking in beach ball," Campbell said, not directly addressing the Bush episode. "It's unlike any diplomacy I have seen. Any possible topic or reference or poet or Irish lyric or historical reference or 60s pop culture data point can appear with little or no warning. Entertaining but unpredictable."

23. “Turning POTUS around on this is a major win”

Emails released last week show a sense of vindication and victory over Clinton’s apparent success in persuading President Obama to join the international military intervention in Libya in March 2011. The operation began under humanitarian terms, but Qadhafi fell from power within months.

"I cannot imagine how exhausted you must be after this week, but I have NEVER been prouder of having worked for you," Slaughter wrote to Clinton on March 19, 2011, two days after the U.N. Security Council approved strikes on Libya.

"Turning POTUS around on this is a major win for everything we have worked for,” wrote Slaughter, who had left Foggy Bottom the previous month.