‘Doesn’t pass the smell test’: Watchdog who caught Ivanka Trump breaking the law laughs at her defense

Senior White House advisor Ivanka Trump was exposed on Monday as having conducted government business on her private email account -- the same practice that fomented chants of "lock her up" by Trump's base.

The emails were uncovered via a Freedom of Information Act request filed by liberal watchdog group American Oversight.

The group's executive director, Austin Evers, joined MSNBC's "The Beat" on Monday to explain how the misconduct was uncovered.

"What we ended up finding late last year was that she did use personal email from time-to-time, which we thought was hypocritical," he explained. "What we didn't know until right now is that the scope of her use was pretty extensive, and that she engaged in a process to review them that absolutely mimics what Hillary Clinton did and was subject to intense criticism from her father, among others."

"And, Austin, I want to briefly -- before we let you go, what is your response to the Ivanka Trump defense that she just didn't know better about any of this?"

"I just don't think that holds any water," he replied.

"The idea that you didn't know better given the campaign we'd all just come through doesn't pass the smell test," he added.

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