Hillary APPROVED Special Status For Aide Huma Abedin

[Segami]

Hillary Clinton greenlighted the controversial “special government employee” position for her top aide Huma Abedin, allowing her to both advise her at State Department while collecting a paycheck from an outside consulting firm and the Clinton Foundation. According to new documents obtained by conservative group Judicial Watch through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, the 2016 Democratic frontrunner was the immediate supervisor who approved the position on March 23, 2012, allowing her then-deputy chief of staff to work several jobs at once. That dual role, which wouldn't go into effect until June of that year, is currently under investigation by Senate Judiciary Committee Republican staff. Republicans and outside groups have openly wondered if the post presented a conflict of interest for the woman who is now vice chair of Hillary for America, or if her other jobs influenced what happened at State. Her lawyers have maintained that she did nothing wrong, noting that government workers have moved to SGE status before.

POLITICO reported Wednesday that the president of the outside company where Abedin would end up working later that year, Doug Band of Teneo, had contacted her that spring in April 2012, asking her for help getting a client appointed to a post on the President’s Global Development Council. In the email, he made sure Abedin knew the woman, Judith Rodin, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, was also a big supporter of the Clinton Foundation — another place Abedin would collect a paycheck after her SGE status was approved.


~snip~

Clinton, in an interview with MSNBC on Sept. 4, said she "was not directly involved" with Abedin's job arrangement. "Do you think Donald Trump had a point in raising the question of whether it was appropriate for her to be taking a State Department salary and also be paid by an outside company closely associated with your husband, by you?" asked reporter Andrea Mitchell.

"Well, I was not directly involved in that, but everything that she did was approved under the rules as they existed by the State Department," Clinton said.

The document states the following:

“I certify that this is an accurate statement of the major duties and responsibilities of this person… and the position is necessary to carry out government functions for which I am responsible,” the form reads in a box labelled "supervisory certification."

“Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State,” reads the name in that box.

The signature, however, has been blanked out by the State Department.



cont'

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/09/clinton-abedin-state-job-approved-214038

[olddots]

1. say who was Huma married to ?

Weird politics .

[Fawke Em]

4. Still is married to...

[FreakinDJ]

2. Same old sleazy crony capitalism

All we need now is a horse judge

[Segami]

6. You haven't seen nothing yet....

if Hillary and Bill is allowed to conduct business once again through the office of the WhiteHouse.

[AtomicKitten]

28. Their lack of transparency on top of that is really disturbing.

I wonder how much wealth they need to accumulate before it's deemed enough. I dread that sense of entitlement and penchant for recklessness anywhere near the levers of government

[marble falls]

3. I don't want Hillary Clinton to get the nomination, but this story is meaningless and a bit mean....

spirited.

[Fawke Em]

5. I think it's just pointing to the cronyism the Clinton's mire themselves in.

I don't see anything mean-spirited.

Can you point to what you find mean-spirited, please?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

30. The citing of facts alone is mean spirited,

If it shows just who she really is.

[reformist2]

12. I kind of agree - this is the kind of rope-a-dope non-scandal scandal the Clintons love.

[Roy Ellefson]

19. yes

yes, I kind of agree with this

[Le Taz Hot]

40. But it's stuff like this that the MSM

and Republicans salivate over. She would be an extreme liability for the Democrats in the GE. It's why we have to work 3 times as hard for Bernie to ensure she doesn't get the nomination.

[antigop]

7. at one point, Huma Abedin had four jobs, according to this article

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1016&pid=131664

State Department
Teneo
Clinton Foundation
worked in a "personal capacity" for HRC

[karynnj]

16. The real question is how much time she claimed to work in each job.

In addition, it really seems that there are conflicts of interest here.

I think the biggest problem for HRC is she signed off on at least the special State Department provision -- and the last two are essentially working for her. Not to mention, she told Andrea Mitchell that she had nothing to do with this arrangement. Yet, it seems it was over her signature. (I wonder if it is common practice to redact the actual signature. Could someone else have approved this for Clinton? )

[antigop]

20. yes, how did she keep track of her hours for each job? I'd like to see her "timesheet". nt

[ChairmanAgnostic]

31. To be found in Clintons closet four ears after she is elected.

[customerserviceguy]

27. No wonder Anthony

had all the time on his hands...

[antigop]

8. How Huma Abedin operated at the center of the Clinton universe

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-huma-abedin-operated-at-the-center-of-the-clinton-universe/2015/08/27/cd099eee-4b32-11e5-902f-39e9219e574b_story.html

As Hillary Rodham Clinton was preparing for her farewell international trip as secretary of state, her close aide and confidante Huma Abedin e-mailed a small number of longtime political allies to help arrange an intimate get-together at a private club in Dublin.

“Maybe we can all gather for drinks/dinner and HRC can come join for as long as she can?” Abedin wrote.

The December 2012 event showcased the unique position that Abedin occupied at the apex of the Clintons’ public and private worlds during the final six months of Hillary Clinton’s tenure heading the State Department.

At the time, Abedin held four jobs with four different employers — an arrangement allowed by a special government designation she held permitting outside employment. And each job had a connection to the Dublin dinner.

[antigop]

9. Weiner’s Wife Didn’t Disclose Consulting Work She Did While Serving in State Dep

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=485601

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

10. If HA lobbied the St Dept while working there, it's over for her and will spill over to Hillary for lack of proper supervision.

[Hortensis]

11. From what I've read, this is another attempt to whomp up

a phony scandal. She's very conscientious about legalities, after all. At best they could only hope to catch her or her staff in a mistake, but guilt isn't needed, just a McCarthy-type hit-and-run.

BTW, I pointed out before that the email server would be only one item on a list to consider, but it was apparently their favorite to lead off, and here's #2 right on schedule now that servergate's faded.

[oasis]

21. Let the feeding frenzy begin.

[riversedge]

51. Obviously it has already begun

[NCTraveler]

13. Extremely intelligent woman.....

And apparently very trusted by Clinton. I was a pretty big fan of her husband as well.

[roguevalley]

14. incestuous as hell. only thing worse would have been Chelsea

DON'T THESE IDIOTS HAVE ENOUGH MONEY ALREADY!?!?!

This points out secrecy and trust issues in Hillary. You know, all this shit is hitting the fan because of her (lack of) judgment. I do remember hearing how all the shit the pug candidates do will be 'fair game'. I don't know how the hell she could do the things she has done in the climate of lunacy that surrounds her and Bill and think she could glide to the presidency without anyone poking into her garbage can. This is on the level of Bill thinking he can have blow jobs in the white house and no one will notice and cry bs. Astonishing.

[JoePhilly]

15. Isn't Huma connected to the Muslim Brotherhood?????

I mean, if we're going to carry some RW water ... might as well use one of these ...

[cherokeeprogressive]

17. This is almost funny. You're calling a few Bernie Sanders supporters carriers of RW water...

and in the real world, here's what the ACTUAL RWers are going to be carrying their water in once they have time to focus their attention on Her. A fucking FLEET of these is what you're about to unleash on the Democratic Party if She's nominated... They're going to be sailing into the harbor 24/7. Good luck with that.

[Segami]

23. Looks to me like you're carrying Rubio's water order.

You're late.....pick up the pace.

[kelliekat44]

18. This happens all the time in high ranks of government. Only a problem when Hillary does it. nt

[karynnj]

22. do you have other examples?

This is not the revolving door problem.

[kelliekat44]

25. They are called "political Appointees" and they get special clearances all the time.

And no, I don't have specific names because that information is not usually given out publicly although it is public information. I am not interested but you can search it out for yourself using FOIA.

[karynnj]

49. This is not that - this was changing her designation from a political appointee

to essentially a contractor.

[jberryhill]

33. Obama hand-picked Joe Biden to be VP

I also understand that he selected Hillary to be Secretary of State.

[karynnj]

50. The American people elected Joe Biden after the Democratic convention

selected him as the VP nominee --- after Obama selected him.

This is not the same - the same would be if Obama signed something allowing Biden to work for private companies or foundations while VP.

[antigop]

24. "Well, I was not directly involved in that" -- did she sign the form or not? nt

[99Forever]

29. Seems like an appropriate question.

If she didn't sign it, then there's no issue. If she did, well some people might see that as Hilary Rodham telling a lie. Seems like an easy enough scandal to quell. Either Hillary Rodham Clinton lied or she didn't.

[antigop]

37. it's absolutely an appropriate question. Did she sign it or not? nt

[antigop]

39. Poll: 'Liar' Most Frequently Associated Word With Hillary Clinton

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/poll-liar-frequently-word-hillary-clinton/story?id=3336162

[mmonk]

26. Thanks. This is where all the problems lie with the emails and our system currently.

[MBS]

32. The common thread with all these issues

-Huma's job arrangements, the private email server, entanglements of Clinton Foundation with State Dept business, insufficient reporting (as required by the Obama White House, and also by law) of donations of foreign countries to Clinton Foundation-is this:
-conflation of personal business with government business

. . .and apparent lack of respect for, or lack of understanding of (I'm not sure which is worse) the principle of government employees keeping personal business separate from government business .

Not good.

[Sienna86]

34. It comes down to ethics, or feeling you are above what is required for normal,people.

Some people feel, because they are rich or in power, that they are above what ethics and regulations require.

For some, it is both.

[restorefreedom]

35. when you feel you own government

are above the law, and are basically your own aristocracy, such pesky rules are not to be followed.

this family does not need to be in our white house any more.

they can keep getting their quarter mil speaking fees, but please, enough. go away now.

[HereSince1628]

38. Yes, a common thread, probably one of many...

and just one of those other threads running through that makes me not want her in charge of anything, is her propensity to drag other people into her messes

Sometimes indirectly...as in taxpayers who end up paying for investigations and as in her loyal friends and employees some of whom have served time and some of whom are threatened with criminal and ethical violations... and the history of that goes back 25 years with over a dozen people were convicted of various federal crimes re Whitewater including a few that ended up in prison.

As a person trained in the law Hillary uses her understanding and cleverness to protect herself via loopholes no one else has ever sought out...other people aren't so trained and aren't so clever...she really doesn't watch out for the people she puts at risk very well. Her current unscandals have Brian Pagliano at risk for work that circumvented commications security, and have cast a dark enough shadow on her BFF Huma Abedin to have her probed for violations

The pattern of life at the margins of ethics is what causes all the "wtf's" that results in legions of conspirators examining every move they make.

[BeyondGeography]

36. Special status

That's like government cool.

[antigop]

41. Segami, if the signature was blanked out then we don't know for sure whether she approved

the special status or not.

I think the headline is misleading, but it begs the question:

Did she sign it or not?

[Segami]

45. Some points that have been presented....

"..Hillary Clinton greenlighted the controversial “special government employee” position for her top aide Huma Abedin, allowing her to both advise her at State Department while collecting a paycheck from an outside consulting firm and the Clinton Foundation..."


"...the 2016 Democratic frontrunner (Hillary Clinton) was the immediate supervisor who approved the position on March 23, 2012, allowing her then-deputy chief of staff to work several jobs at once..."


The document states the following:

“I certify that this is an accurate statement of the major duties and responsibilities of this person… and the position is necessary to carry out government functions for which I am responsible,” the form reads in a box labelled "supervisory certification."

“Hillary Rodham Clinton, Secretary of State,” reads the name in that box.

The signature, however, has been blanked out by the State Department.

Hillary Clinton was the "immediate supervisor" and from what I gather, the form's box labeled "Supervisory Certification" was followed by the name Hillary Rodham Clinton and a signature line.



Now, a great question that needs to be addressed is why would the State Department feel the need to blank out the signature line?


Other than Hillary Clinton, was someone else tasked with the authority to sign for Huma Abedin's position "necessary to carry out government functions" on behalf of Hillary? If so, once again, why would the State Department feel the need to blank out the signature line?

[antigop]

46. You ask some very good questions.

Why was the signature blanked out?

Did someone else sign?

HRC said she "was not directly involved" with Abedin's SGE status. So did HRC sign the form or not?

[Sunlei]

42. She's one of the best Aides out there in leadership politics on either side.

[MBS]

43. No doubt about that

It's just the squishiness of the special arrangements that's the issue here.

[Sunlei]

44. Not an issue with me, at all.

[JTFrog]

47. Chuck Grassley sends his thanks to the OP.

[antigop]

48. It's binary. Either HRC signed the form or she didn't. nt

[MichMan]

52. Signature redaction may be standard

Redacted signature may just be the common practice to avoid it being copied and pasted or to make identity theft less common. While Hillary's signature would be out there in the public domain, that wouldn't be true of less notable government employees.

[Fumesucker]

53. I am a bad person, this is the first thing that came to mind when hearing about four jobs

[TwilightGardener]

54. Sleazy.

Sure makes me proud to be a Democrat.

[karynnj]

55. Yep -- and the Clinton people are smearing Jane Sanders for volunteering to

be on two commissions in UNPAID positions - calling it essentially quid por quo by Shumlin because Bernie campaigned for him.

[TwilightGardener]

56. Yeah, I saw that thread. Sad and funny at the same time.