News Analysis: Clinton's email scandal could hurt her with independent voters

U.S. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton's ongoing email scandal may not hurt her with her own supporters, but could put a dent in her numbers with independent voters at a time when independents will decide the next president.

Clinton is currently embroiled in a scandal over whether she jeopardized U.S. national security by using a private email account and server for official business while she was Secretary of State under President Barack Obama.

A latest report by the inspector general of the State Department sharply criticized Clinton for her use of the private email server while in office, as she did not seek permission to use. It added that Clinton did not comply with State Department policies.

The report provided new ammunition to her Republican critics to attack her for not being honest and trustworthy at a time when she is nearly clinching the Democratic Party's nomination.

"The issue has not really affected her standing with Democrats because they see this as a partisan issue being pushed by congressional Republicans. But it does hurt Clinton with independent voters," Brookings Institution Senior Fellow Darrell West told Xinhua.

Indeed, many independents already have doubts about Clinton's honesty and integrity, and the email scandal reinforces those perceptions, West said.

"That is problematic because the independents will in the end decide this election," West said.

Indeed, it seems that Clinton cannot get away from the scandal, which has been dogging her for several months. While Clinton initially dismissed the issue as non-consequential, the U.S. State Department report undermined her previous statements.

"The email scandal is one that never really goes away. It keeps popping up at inopportune times and reminding voters that Clinton violated department rules," West said.

An April Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll found that Clinton's favorability rating among U.S. independents had dropped 15 percent points in the first four months this year. It found only 20 percent of independents viewed Clinton positively while 62 percent viewed here negatively.

Still, Clinton is unlikely to be indicted by the Department of Justice, (DOJ) which is handling the main investigation. Indicting her now would be tantamount to handing the presidency to Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Critics said that Clinton's cozy relationship with the DOJ will likely prevent any indictment against her.

For example, current U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who heads the Justice Department, was appointed by Hillary Clinton's husband and former President Bill Clinton in 1999 to be the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

Justice Department employees have also contributed nearly 75,000 U.S. dollars to Clinton's presidential campaign, U.S. media reported.

"I don't expect her to be indicted for this, but it keeps an unfavorable event in the news over a long period of time and keeps her from focusing on Trump's deficiencies," West said.

Crucially, the controversy forces Clinton to engage in damage control, instead of honing in on a strategy to defeat rival Trump.

"The most difficult part of this issue for her is it takes her off message, which is one of the worst things that can happen during an election campaign," West said. Endite