Planned Attacks on Sanders Included in WikiLeaks' Third Batch of Podesta Emails

Planned Attacks on Sanders Included in WikiLeaks’ Third Batch of Podesta Emails

Emails include list of “hits” on Bernie Sanders and attempts to spin media coverage in Hillary Clinton’s favor

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/10/11/planned-attacks-sanders-included-wikileaks-third-batch-podesta-emails

By: Nika Knight
Date: 2016-10-11

WikiLeaks released the third installment of its cache of Hillary Clinton campaign manager John Podesta’s hacked emails early Tuesday, revealing the inner workings of the Clinton camp’s efforts to spin news items and influence reporting; their strategies to take down the presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.); and the often cozy relationship between Podesta and corporate lobbyists.

For instance, one email featured Gordon Giffin, a lobbyist for TransCanada, the company behind the Keystone XL pipeline, asking Podesta personally to secure a seat for him at the White House state dinner with Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. “Giffin is a [so-called] ‘Hillblazer’ who has contributed or raised at least $100,000 for Clinton and her joint funds with the Democratic Party,” Politico observed.

Another exchange shows top aides struggling to spin contentious moments, including a statement Clinton made last February about her vote for a 2001 bankruptcy bill that favored credit card companies. Clinton said she was pressured to vote for the legislation by women’s groups.

“She said women groups [sic] were all pressuring her to vote for it. Evidence does not support that statement,” Clinton campaign senior policy adviser Ann O’Leary wrote.

The emails reveal prominent Clinton supporters outside of the campaign were frightened by the unexpected success of Sanders’ campaign and often provided advice on how to defeat him. (Photo: ABC/flickr/cc)

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