US Vice President Mike Pence used private email account for official purposes: Report

United States Vice President Mike Pence used a private email account for matters of public business as governor of Indianapolis, according to US media reports.

Reports state that Pence used a private account to discuss "sensitive matters" and "homeland security issues", according to emails obtained by the state's daily Indianapolis Star newspaper. The paper also added that Pence's account was also hacked last summer.

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The emails were obtained by the newspaper in a public record request. The paper said that in response to its investigation, the vice president's office confirmed that  "Mike Pence maintained a state email account and a personal account," AFP reported.

"As Governor, Mr Pence fully complied with Indiana law regarding email use and retention," Pence's office told the Star.  "Government emails involving his state and personal accounts are being archived by the state consistent with Indiana law, and are being managed according to Indiana's Access to Public Records Act."

Pence, during the presidential elections campaign in 2016, had repeatedly criticised the Democrat presidential nominee Hillary Clinton for using a private email server for official communications, an issue which haunted her throughout her campaign.

Clinton had even cited FBI director James Comey playing a part in her eventual election loss as he reopened a probe in her emails days before the election day.

Tony Cook, the reporter who broke the story, told CNN that Pence's spokesperson downplayed any "comparisons to Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server and email account."

Indiana law although does not restrict public officials from using a personal email account, it requires that the messages connected to official business be kept for public information purposes.