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Wikileaks release Part 3 of Podesta emails

A fresh batch of emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman and former counselor to President Obama, John Podesta, has been released by Wikileaks.
As many as 1190 new emails comprise part of the latest release, adding to the more than 4,000 emails from Podesta already released by the whistleblowing website. Wikileaks founder Julian Assange claims they are sitting on a trove of 50,000 messages.

One email has caused debate over whether Podesta is revealing that Clinton hates everyday Americans, though it appears the problem is with the phrase “everyday Americans” being included in a speech.

“I know she has begun to hate everyday Americans, but I think we should use it once the first time she says I'm running for president because you and everyday Americans need a champion.” Podesta wrote to Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's Director of Communications, in April 2015.

Also included is an email chain from February 15, 2016 titled ‘Pushback on immigration,’ which shows a request for Ken Salazar, who was the US secretary of the interior from 2009 to 2013, to write an op-ed to smear Bernie Sanders' "professed support for immigration." 

The emails reveal frustration from Clinton’s camp over President Obama’s reluctance to show support for her. Dated March 12, 2016, over a month after primaries began, Neera Tanden [President and CEO of the Center for American Progress] asks Podesta “Can Obama even hint of support of Hillary before Tuesday? Really, just a directional nod would be helpful.”

“Maybe they don't want to do this, but the stakes are pretty damn high in this election for him," Tanden says. Podesta asks.“Why don't you push Valerie a little bit,” possibly referencing Valerie Jarrett, senior adviser to Obama.

Podesta emailed Clinton’s Director of Communications Jennifer M Palmieri about the news website Business Insider, in an attempt to confirm Clinton’s attendance at an event on April 12, 2015, the day she announced her run for president. They both referred to the publication as being right wing.

“Am I right that they're right wing? They get a fair amount of traffic,” Podesta asked. “They are right wing, but Philippe [Reines, Clinton's former State Department aide] weirdly has cultivated them,” Palmieri replied.

On September 24, 2015, Nikki Budzinski, Clinton’s labor outreach director, emailed Robby Mook about Sanders’ campaign, asking National Education Association for a tele-town hall.

“Carrie flagged that Sanders is now asking for a teletown hall, which we were offered and he was not," she said. "Sander's campaign manager is all over Carrie. I told Carrie this is Sanders strategy, delay, delay and make things a mess."

The NEA recommended an endorsement of Clinton the next day, and was reportedly divided over the decision, as many supported Sanders and the union endorsed Barack Obama only after he had won the Democratic nomination.

“Is it the assumption of the campaign not to worry about Sanders?”Tanden asked Podesta in August 2015, noting, “Our trust in government research shows how much people are feeling let down by politicians, which is fueling a real antipathy to the political class. In that world, I can understand the rise of Sanders and Trump – anti-politicians to say the least.”

“The assumption is that we have to beat him which we are trying to do,” Podesta replied.

In February 2016, after the Sanders campaign broadcast a TV ad against fracking, the Clinton camp drafted a response painting his proposal as “extreme, unfeasible and ignores the contribution natural gas has made to our economy and our efforts to reduce carbon pollution.”

The October 2015 email from Tony Carkk contains a list of the Clinton campaign’s “hits” on Sanders. A conversationbetween the campaign and the pollsters in February 2016, after Sanders won New Hampshire discusses “new possible negatives” to test in the poll, “since most of our attacks haven't been working.” One of the ideas is to condemn Sanders for“socialism” and say he wants to “gut America’s national security.”

Eric McFadden, a former director of the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives for the governor of Ohio, was mentioned in a mailto have served as a liaison to Clinton in the 2007 primaries. McFadden was arrested in 2009 and pleaded guilty to two incidents of trying to pimp a 17-year-old prostitute.

The American Catholic said McFadden served as the head of Catholic outreach for the Clinton campaign during the primary.

In December 2013, Bloomberg reporter Mike Dorning contacted Jake Siewert, former White House press secretary who became head of corporate communications for Goldman Sachs.

Dorning was asking about the role Podesta played during Bill Clinton’s second term “push to use executive actions to further agenda.”

“Guidance?” Siewert wrote to Podesta and Palmieri, attaching Dorning’s inquiry. “I can make stuff up but happy to emphasize whatever you'd like. Was thinking of stressing the deep knowledge and expertise around executive power and what can be done independent of congressional action.”

The previous release revealed that many advisers close to the Clintons pushed for Bill’s role in his wife’s campaign for presidency to be reduced, as his “sex life could be damaging to her”.

Clinton confirmed the authenticity of the previous release, clarifying comments exposed by the leak during Sunday’s second presidential debate. Her admission to the National Multi-Housing Council in 2013 that politicians have “both a private position and a public position” was explained as being a discussion she had regarding the film ‘Lincoln’.

READ MORE: ‘I’m kind of far removed’: Clinton admits estrangement from middle class in Wall Street paid speech

So far there has been no official response from Podesta or the Clinton campaign. However, interim chair of the Democratic National Committee Donna Brazile has accused WikiLeaks of being "postmarked from Russia" and "spreading con man Donald Trump lies."

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