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6 Nov, 2016 12:55

#PodestaEmails32 : WikiLeaks releases latest batch of emails from Clinton campaign chair

#PodestaEmails32 : WikiLeaks releases latest batch of emails from Clinton campaign chair

WikiLeaks has released another batch of emails from Clinton campaign chair John Podesta.

The whistleblowing site has published more than 50,000 emails in the lead up to the presidential election on Tuesday. Today’s trache contains 2074 new emails.  

Saturday’s release contained transcripts from Bill Clinton’s fundraising speeches, which included the former president attacking UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and discussing the need for a tough leader to “enforce the trigger that will re-impose sanctions” should Iran violate the nuclear deal.

READ MORE: Mid East 'not all bad' : Bill Clinton's speeches revealed in WikiLeaks' #PodestaEmails31

Also included are examples of Clinton aides worrying “there are no good answers” to questions about the Clinton Foundation.

Chelsea Clinton using Foundation money for wedding

A January 2012 email chain from longtime Clinton adviser and former Clinton Foundation fundraiser Doug Band accuses Chelsea Clinton of using Foundation money for her wedding.

“The investigation into her getting paid for campaigning, using foundation resources for her wedding and life for a decade, taxes on money from her parents....” Band says to Podesta.

Band dislikes Chelsea Clinton particularly as she was investigating his role in the Foundation and appears often in the Podesta emails.

“I hope that you will speak to her and end this once we go down this road…” Band says.

Doug Band’s dislike for Chelsea Clinton’s husband and his ‘poker night’

In another email from January 2012, Doug Band has a stab at the Marc Mezvinsky, the husband of Chelsea Clinton, where he accuses “mez” of arranging a poker night with several investors because he couldn’t raise funds himself.

“His raising money for his own fund hasn't been going well and he has cvc [Chelsea Clinton] making some calls for him to get mtgs with some clinton people,” Band writes.

“Marc has invited several potential investors and a few current business ones to the poker night. I assume all are contributing to the foundation, which of course isn't the point. What is the point is that he is doing precisely what he accused me of doing as the entire plan of his has been to use this for his business which he is,” he adds.

Podesta complains about ‘f*cking psychotic” media

In an email from July 2015, Neera Tanden, Clinton aide and president of the Center for American Progress, goes on a tirade about the press being “psychotic” in reference to a Politico article by Dylan Byers, which highlighted Podesta’s concern over the “psychosis of the media.”

“They are f*cking psychotic,” Podesta sums up, in regards to the press, at the end of the chain with Tanden.

Billionaire Saban directs campaign strategy

An email thread from July 2015 reveals the level of influence billionaire Haim Saban, one of the Clintons’ biggest donors, has on Hillary’s presidential campaign.

Unlike many donors, who have to go through intermediaries to get high up campaign access, Saban’s case appears to be different. In the email to Podesta and campaign manager Robby Mook, Saban requests a discussion, writing, “Can one of you please call me at your earliest convenience? Tx.”

After Podesta and Mook get in touch with Saban, Podesta writes, “Haim thinks we are under reacting to Trump/Hispanics. Thinks we can get something by standing up for Latinos or attacking R's for not condemning.”

Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton’s Director of Communications weighs in, ”Haim is right - we should be jamming this all the time.”

“A and X - can we think about what else we should do?" she asks Clinton staffers Amanda Renteria and Xochitl Hinojosa. "Issue a broader challenge? Do something tied to Fourth of July were we declared all equal? Get CHC to do a letter?”

Brent Budowsky happy Supreme Court deadlock

An email from February 2012, written by Brent Budowsky, columnist for The Hill, shows how the Clinton ally is advising Podesta on how to make the most of the Supreme Court deadlock.

“I have been looking for this opportunity, which is not as easy as it sounds, but this would be a gift to de-brand the entire Republican party as a whole and mobilize the grassroots Democrats en masse for a sustained period,” Budowsky writes.

He adds, “If Republicans want to make the Supreme Court dysfunctional for a year, we can turn every Republican Senator into Ted Cruz and win a big Senate campaign victory in November. Everything the public hates about Washington is embodied by Republicans here.”

Getting high-ranking Muslims on board for Clinton campaign

Kamran Bajwa, partner for major law firm Kirkland, sends an email to Podesta in July 2016 highlighting how he has been “reaching out” to American-Muslims who “identify as Americans first and as Muslims” to help with fundraising and volunteering for Clinton.

Bajwa asks Podesta to “please keep this confidential” in relation to the high-ranking Muslims he recommends including Anas Osman, Senior VP at Google Corp, Ahmad Nassar, President of NFL Players, Inc., and Faisal Ashraf, a healthcare entrepreneur.

“I think a good next step would be to have the key committee people I have mentioned meet with you and the leadership team as soon as possible,” Bajwa writes.

Anti-politicians

In August 2015, Tanden emails Podesta to discuss Bernie Sanders. “Is it the assumption of the campaign not to worry about Sanders? I'm having a hard time understanding that so I thought I'd check in,” she says.

“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.” she says.

'Scripture in a black church is a good idea'

In an email on 11 March 2016, Addisu Demissie, Clinton’s national voter outreach and mobilization director, advises Clinton’s speechwriter, Dan Schwerin on how to approach an upcoming engagement

“I always think that starting a speech with scripture in a black church is a good idea - even if it's just "this is the day that the Lord has made..." she says.

Schwerin was asking Clinton aids for suggestions on how to get more out of the event,“ HRC is supposed to talk for 15 minutes from a podium at the top of a town hall meeting tomorrow at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cleveland. The attached draft is similar to what we've been doing recently -- breaking down barriers, jobs, schools, systemic racism, a little scripture...if folks think there should be more, please let me know.”

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