Defense Secretary Ash Carter says Using Personal Email for Work was a ‘Mistake,’ Emails to be reviewed

Defense Secretary Ash Carter has acknowledged that using his personal email for work was "a mistake." All of his emails from his personal phone will all be reviewed by the Senate Armed Services Committee, which is headed by John McCain.

"I have to hold myself to absolutely strict standards in terms of cybersecurity and doing things that are appropriate. I didn't in this case. It's a mistake and it's entirely my own," Carter said to CBS News.

His spokesman, Peter Cook, stated, "After reviewing his email practices earlier this year, the secretary believes that his previous, occasional use of personal email for work-related business, even for routine administrative issues and backed up to his official account, was a mistake. As a result, he stopped such use of his personal email and further limited his use of email altogether."

Carter also acknowledged that he should have known better especially after presidential hopeful, Hilary Clinton was scrutinized for using her personal email for work while with the state department. Carter had used his personal email for at least two months after Clinton's controversy.

"With all the public attention surrounding the improper use of personal email by other administration officials, it is hard to believe that Secretary Carter would exercise the same error in judgment," McCain said.

The White House Chief of Staff, Denis McDonough, had flagged the issue once he learned in May that Carter was using his personal email, according to ABC News, who cited a senior official at the White House.

It is unknown just how many emails were sent.

The New York Times was the first to report on the story.