The whirlwind of news just days before the elections – from speculation on Trump-Russia ties to the FBI’s new Clinton email investigation – has thrown shade on some of the most recent Wikileaks revelations. Here are three you should know about
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THOMAS HEDGES, TRNN: The whirlwind of news just one week before the elections, from speculation on Trump’s ties to Russia to the FBI’s announcement of a new Clinton email investigation, has overwhelmed some of the most recent WikiLeaks email revelations. The Real News is highlighting three of the most noteworthy ones here. Number one. DONNA BRAZILE: I did not receive any questions from CNN HEDGES: Follow-up emails to the Donna Brazile scandal, in which the then-CNN contributor apparently passed a debate question along to the Clinton campaign, confirm not only that Brazile did so but that she forwarded at least two questions to Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, who’s emails are the ones under scrutiny after his account was hacked. The first email Brazile previewed before a primary debate with Bernie Sanders was a question from a Flint, Michigan resident about the lead poisoning crisis in the city. “Her family has lead poison and she will ask what, if anything, will Hillary do as president to help the people of Flint,” Brazile told Podesta. HILLARY CLINTON: I want us to have an absolute commitment to getting rid of lead where it is. HEDGES: The second was on the death penalty, sent just before a March 13th debate also with Sanders. “Here’s one that worries me about HRC,” Brazile wrote before passing along the question itself. SPEAKER: I would like to know how can you still take your stance on the death penalty? HEDGES: On Monday, CNN accepted her resignation. In a piece for POLITICO, Jack Shafer criticized CNN as well as today’s culture of TV punditry, writing that Donna Brazile “isn’t one corrupt act. It’s the whole ecosystem of paid partisan yakkers” that needs to be addressed. Number 2. Since February of 2015, John Podesta has been on the payroll of one of Clinton’s top donors. The Sandler Foundation, who’s founders Herbert and Marion Sandler have roots in the banking industry, has paid Podesta $7,000 a month for advising them on grant-making along with other tasks. At the same time, Podesta has solicited contributions from the Sandlers and their foundation for the Clinton campaign. Two years ago, Herbert Sandler relayed a Princeton University study with the headline “U.S. No Longer An Actual Democracy.” “This is precisely what Marion and I have believed for some time”, he wrote. It is horrible. Number 3. An email released Tuesday shows how the Clinton campaign is concerned about media inquiries into the connection between the State Department and Teneo. Last week, a 2011 memo from Teneo co-founder and close Bill Clinton aide Doug Band detailed ties between the Clinton Foundation and Teneo Holdings. “Since President Clinton left office,” Band wrote, “I have sought to leverage my activities, including my partner role at Teneo, to support and to raise funds for the Foundation.” Among those contributions he says he facilitated are $4.3 million from Coca-Cola, $1.1 million from Barclays and $780,000 from Dow Chemical. Many have also criticized Teneo for employing a number of Clinton acolytes including top aide Huma Abedin. DOUG HENWOOD: When Trump says the election is rigged it’s probably not in the sense that he means it but people have a sense that this system is rigged and closed and run by a bunch of insiders and these Podesta emails really confirm those impressions.
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