Why It Matters When Public Officials Use Private Email Accounts

Hillary Clinton announced Wednesday that she is turning over to the Justice Department the private server she used to send emails while serving as secretary of state. It comes as a surprise, though several Republican critics have noted it has not come soon enough.

At the University of Illinois, another email controversy, as some senior officials have admitted to using private email accounts for officials business without later turning those emails over for public record.

So why is it so bad to mix private email accounts with public work? And how can laws better prevent the problem from getting worse in an era where technology is so pervasive?

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson speaks with Jason Baron, formerly of the the National Archives and Records Administration for his perspective.