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| Clinton e-mails reinvigorate inquiry into allies who got special job status | Clinton e-mails reinvigorate inquiry into allies who got special job status |
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| The revelation that Hillary Rodham Clinton used a private e-mail system as secretary of state has revived a Senate investigation into another aspect of her tenure. | The revelation that Hillary Rodham Clinton used a private e-mail system as secretary of state has revived a Senate investigation into another aspect of her tenure. |
| Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), who heads the Judiciary Committee, had previously questioned Clinton’s use of a program that allowed some political allies to work for the government while pursuing private-sector careers. | Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), who heads the Judiciary Committee, had previously questioned Clinton’s use of a program that allowed some political allies to work for the government while pursuing private-sector careers. |
| Grassley had sought e-mails and other documents from the State Department. | Grassley had sought e-mails and other documents from the State Department. |
| But he didn’t know, until last week, that Clinton was exclusively using a private e-mail account that could contain relevant information about Clinton’s use of the so-called “special government employee” program. Huma Abedin, a Clinton confidante and adviser who was granted the special designation, also used the private e-mail system. | |
| Grassley has in recent days renewed his effort to get answers from the State Department. That opens a second line of inquiry on Capitol Hill into the Democrats’ presumptive presidential front-runner, who was already facing an inquiry from a House committee seeking her e-mails related to the U.S. response to an attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya. | Grassley has in recent days renewed his effort to get answers from the State Department. That opens a second line of inquiry on Capitol Hill into the Democrats’ presumptive presidential front-runner, who was already facing an inquiry from a House committee seeking her e-mails related to the U.S. response to an attack on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya. |
| Grassley and other critics have said Clinton’s use of the special employee program appeared unusual. | Grassley and other critics have said Clinton’s use of the special employee program appeared unusual. |
| State Department records show that a half-dozen of Clinton’s political allies were granted the special designation during her tenure. Not all of them received government salaries. But critics say abuse of the program could give private-sector firms unfair access to government information and internal deliberations. | State Department records show that a half-dozen of Clinton’s political allies were granted the special designation during her tenure. Not all of them received government salaries. But critics say abuse of the program could give private-sector firms unfair access to government information and internal deliberations. |
| Spokesmen for Clinton and the State Department say her use of the program was appropriate and followed government rules. More than 100 people received the designation each year, most with expertise in niche areas of science and global affairs. | |
| Asked to respond directly to Grassley’s concerns that Clinton may have misused the program, Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill replied via e-mail: “With all due respect, we disagree.” | Asked to respond directly to Grassley’s concerns that Clinton may have misused the program, Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill replied via e-mail: “With all due respect, we disagree.” |
| No one knows how widespread the program is used across the government. Grassley last year asked the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review. The assessment is not complete, but Grassley, in the meantime, has focused his attention on Clinton and some of those who received the special designation under her leadership. | No one knows how widespread the program is used across the government. Grassley last year asked the Government Accountability Office to conduct a review. The assessment is not complete, but Grassley, in the meantime, has focused his attention on Clinton and some of those who received the special designation under her leadership. |
| Some recipients were political advisers with limited State Department expertise. Others , Grassley said, appeared to have turned the program on its head: Instead of being outside experts brought in to assist the government, they were State Department employees who launched secondary careers in the private sector while remaining tied to the department. | Some recipients were political advisers with limited State Department expertise. Others , Grassley said, appeared to have turned the program on its head: Instead of being outside experts brought in to assist the government, they were State Department employees who launched secondary careers in the private sector while remaining tied to the department. |
| “The public’s business ought to be public with few exceptions,” Grassley said in a statement Saturday. “When employees are allowed to serve the government and the private sector at the same time and use private email, the employees have access to everything and the public, nothing.” | “The public’s business ought to be public with few exceptions,” Grassley said in a statement Saturday. “When employees are allowed to serve the government and the private sector at the same time and use private email, the employees have access to everything and the public, nothing.” |
| Grassley said he will press the State Department in the coming weeks “to answer for any blurring of the lines between public and private service and any concealing of the blurred lines through private email.” | Grassley said he will press the State Department in the coming weeks “to answer for any blurring of the lines between public and private service and any concealing of the blurred lines through private email.” |
| Questions about Clinton’s use of the special program were first raised in 2013, when it became public that Abedin was being paid by the State Department while also working for an international consulting firm with close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton. | Questions about Clinton’s use of the special program were first raised in 2013, when it became public that Abedin was being paid by the State Department while also working for an international consulting firm with close ties to Bill and Hillary Clinton. |
| Through a request under the Freedom of Information Act, several news organizations, including The Washington Post, have since learned the extent to which Hillary Clinton used the program. | Through a request under the Freedom of Information Act, several news organizations, including The Washington Post, have since learned the extent to which Hillary Clinton used the program. |
| Others granted the special status included a former campaign manager, a longtime legal and personal adviser, a former House member now affiliated with a group backing a Clinton presidential bid, a former pollster and others who have supported the Clintons in their political and philanthropic organizations. | Others granted the special status included a former campaign manager, a longtime legal and personal adviser, a former House member now affiliated with a group backing a Clinton presidential bid, a former pollster and others who have supported the Clintons in their political and philanthropic organizations. |
| In interviews, State Department officials and several of the individuals said the special government status was legitimate and had no relationship to Hillary Clinton’s political ambitions. Some said they declined compensation for their work under the special status. | In interviews, State Department officials and several of the individuals said the special government status was legitimate and had no relationship to Hillary Clinton’s political ambitions. Some said they declined compensation for their work under the special status. |
| This is not the first time Clinton has been criticized related to her use of the special government employee program. As first lady in the early 1990s, she used the program to hire members of a presidential task force on health-care reform that she chaired. | This is not the first time Clinton has been criticized related to her use of the special government employee program. As first lady in the early 1990s, she used the program to hire members of a presidential task force on health-care reform that she chaired. |
| Some medical and conservative advocacy groups filed suit against the first lady, saying her use of the advisory committee violated open-government requirements that such committee meetings be announced and accessible to the public and the news media. | Some medical and conservative advocacy groups filed suit against the first lady, saying her use of the advisory committee violated open-government requirements that such committee meetings be announced and accessible to the public and the news media. |
| The special government employee status became an official personnel category in 1962, after President John F. Kennedy expressed a need to bring in experts to advise his administration without requiring them to quit their private-sector jobs. | The special government employee status became an official personnel category in 1962, after President John F. Kennedy expressed a need to bring in experts to advise his administration without requiring them to quit their private-sector jobs. |
| After Senate investigators completed a preliminary review last year of State Department appointments under Clinton and compared them with those of other agencies, Grassley concluded that “something is out of line here” and requested the GAO review. | After Senate investigators completed a preliminary review last year of State Department appointments under Clinton and compared them with those of other agencies, Grassley concluded that “something is out of line here” and requested the GAO review. |
| A list of special employees released last year by the State Department under the FOIA request showed that most had the sort of specialized knowledge — hydrology, Sino-Russian relations — that would qualify them under the terms of the program. | A list of special employees released last year by the State Department under the FOIA request showed that most had the sort of specialized knowledge — hydrology, Sino-Russian relations — that would qualify them under the terms of the program. |
| Aside from Abedin, otherClinton confidants who were granted the special status included Maggie Williams, Clinton’s 2008 campaign manager; Jeremy Rosner, a former Clinton pollster; Jonathan Prince, a speechwriter forBill and Hillary Clinton; Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, aformer Maryland lieutenant governor who is on the board of American Bridge, a left-leaning political operation that has defended Hillary Clinton against partisan attacks; and Cheryl Mills, a former White House deputy counsel and longtime adviser to Hillary Clinton. | Aside from Abedin, otherClinton confidants who were granted the special status included Maggie Williams, Clinton’s 2008 campaign manager; Jeremy Rosner, a former Clinton pollster; Jonathan Prince, a speechwriter forBill and Hillary Clinton; Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, aformer Maryland lieutenant governor who is on the board of American Bridge, a left-leaning political operation that has defended Hillary Clinton against partisan attacks; and Cheryl Mills, a former White House deputy counsel and longtime adviser to Hillary Clinton. |
| Williams received the special status to work on issues relating to women and girls, said State Department spokesman Alec Gerlach. Williams did not respond to requests for comment. | Williams received the special status to work on issues relating to women and girls, said State Department spokesman Alec Gerlach. Williams did not respond to requests for comment. |
| State Department documents show that Mills received no compensation for her work tied to reconstruction efforts in Haiti. Mills did not respond to requests for comment, referring questions to Merrill, the Clinton spokesman. He noted that she retained her affiliation with the department to work on Haiti after Clinton left, adding: “We imagine Sen. Grassley would have no reservations about her particular case.” | State Department documents show that Mills received no compensation for her work tied to reconstruction efforts in Haiti. Mills did not respond to requests for comment, referring questions to Merrill, the Clinton spokesman. He noted that she retained her affiliation with the department to work on Haiti after Clinton left, adding: “We imagine Sen. Grassley would have no reservations about her particular case.” |
| Prince also received no compensation for his work, which he said was tied to Middle East peace talks and unrelated to anything involving the Clintons. | Prince also received no compensation for his work, which he said was tied to Middle East peace talks and unrelated to anything involving the Clintons. |
| Townsend also did not receive a government paycheck from her special designation. She did not respond to requests for comment. | Townsend also did not receive a government paycheck from her special designation. She did not respond to requests for comment. |
| Ellen O. Tauscher, a former California congresswoman, and Caitlin Klevorick, who previously worked at the Clinton Foundation, launched activities in the private sector while working as special government employees at the State Department. | Ellen O. Tauscher, a former California congresswoman, and Caitlin Klevorick, who previously worked at the Clinton Foundation, launched activities in the private sector while working as special government employees at the State Department. |
| Records show that Tauscher received a special designation in 2012 after serving as special envoy for strategic stability and missile defense in the office of the secretary of state. | Records show that Tauscher received a special designation in 2012 after serving as special envoy for strategic stability and missile defense in the office of the secretary of state. |
| The designation typically lasts for a year. Tauscher said she only served for a few months. During that time, she joined a corporate board. She later started work as a lawyer with a Washington firm. | The designation typically lasts for a year. Tauscher said she only served for a few months. During that time, she joined a corporate board. She later started work as a lawyer with a Washington firm. |
| Tauscher, who has since been active in the Ready for Hillary Super PAC, said she received the designation after expressing interest in retiring from government. She was told that the State Department wanted her to continue to serve at least part time so she could remain involved with ongoing missile-defense negotiations with Russian officials. | Tauscher, who has since been active in the Ready for Hillary Super PAC, said she received the designation after expressing interest in retiring from government. She was told that the State Department wanted her to continue to serve at least part time so she could remain involved with ongoing missile-defense negotiations with Russian officials. |
| She said the designation allowed her to retain clearance and continue to work for the government. She questioned why there would be interest in the status. When told members of Congress have raised questions about State Department employees serving two roles, she said, “I was a member of Congress. I’m not impressed when members of Congress raise questions.” She added, “Everything I did was cleared by State Department lawyers.” | |
| Klevorick, who joined the State Department as an aide to Clinton, received two one-year special appointments beginning in January 2012. During that time, records show that Klevorick established CBK Strategies, a consulting firm that advises government and corporate clients on communications and policy. | Klevorick, who joined the State Department as an aide to Clinton, received two one-year special appointments beginning in January 2012. During that time, records show that Klevorick established CBK Strategies, a consulting firm that advises government and corporate clients on communications and policy. |
| Klevorick, whose participation in the program was first reported last year by Pro Publica, did not respond to requests for comment. Gerlach, the State Department spokesman, said Klevorick served as a senior adviser to the department while she had the special status. | Klevorick, whose participation in the program was first reported last year by Pro Publica, did not respond to requests for comment. Gerlach, the State Department spokesman, said Klevorick served as a senior adviser to the department while she had the special status. |
| In that capacity, “she provided expert knowledge and advice on a variety of foreign policy issues, including implementing the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. She was later asked to remain a consultant advising the department on implementation of ongoing programs, including the implementation of reforms recommended in the QDDR,” Gerlach said in a statement. | In that capacity, “she provided expert knowledge and advice on a variety of foreign policy issues, including implementing the Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. She was later asked to remain a consultant advising the department on implementation of ongoing programs, including the implementation of reforms recommended in the QDDR,” Gerlach said in a statement. |
| Rosner, a pollster who worked for the White House National Security Council during Bill Clinton’s administration, had a special government employee assignment in 2011 with the State Department, a period in which he continued his association with the Washington-based political consulting firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner. | Rosner, a pollster who worked for the White House National Security Council during Bill Clinton’s administration, had a special government employee assignment in 2011 with the State Department, a period in which he continued his association with the Washington-based political consulting firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner. |
| In an interview, Rosner said his work at the State Department was unrelated to the Clintons. Rather, he said, he helped with a project initiated by the late Richard C. Holbrooke to strengthen public diplomacy in Pakistan and the surrounding region. The assignment led Rosner to live for several months in Pakistan. | In an interview, Rosner said his work at the State Department was unrelated to the Clintons. Rather, he said, he helped with a project initiated by the late Richard C. Holbrooke to strengthen public diplomacy in Pakistan and the surrounding region. The assignment led Rosner to live for several months in Pakistan. |
| A government ethics experts expressed concern about Clinton’s use of the program, particularly in the case of Abedin, who is also one of the few State Department employees known to have used Clinton’s private e-mail system. | A government ethics experts expressed concern about Clinton’s use of the program, particularly in the case of Abedin, who is also one of the few State Department employees known to have used Clinton’s private e-mail system. |
| “The consulting firm she worked for provided advice to investors on international affairs, and the firm also has a lot of former state department, defense department and other government officials on its payroll,” said Richard Painter, a former White House ethics counsel during the George W. Bush administration. “This raises the possibility that confidential U.S. government information could be misappropriated for use in trading markets, which in turn could violate criminal insider trading laws, mail fraud or wire fraud laws.” | |
| Abedin said she left Washington and full-time employment in 2012 after giving birth to a son with her husband, former congressman Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), who was then running for mayor of New York. She said in a letter to the State Department later forwarded to Grassley’s committee that she sought the special status after deciding “to spend the bulk of my time in New York City where my family lived” and that the change was reviewed and approved by State Department legal staff. | Abedin said she left Washington and full-time employment in 2012 after giving birth to a son with her husband, former congressman Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), who was then running for mayor of New York. She said in a letter to the State Department later forwarded to Grassley’s committee that she sought the special status after deciding “to spend the bulk of my time in New York City where my family lived” and that the change was reviewed and approved by State Department legal staff. |
| In the letter Abedin wrote to the State Department in 2013, she said her work at the consulting firm Teneo was unrelated to anything involving the department. | In the letter Abedin wrote to the State Department in 2013, she said her work at the consulting firm Teneo was unrelated to anything involving the department. |
| “I also was not asked, nor did I provide, insights about the Department, my work with the Secretary or any government information to which I may have had access.” Her job at Teneo, Abedin said, was to provide “strategic advice and consulting services to the firms’ management team” as well as helping to organize “a major annual firm event.” | “I also was not asked, nor did I provide, insights about the Department, my work with the Secretary or any government information to which I may have had access.” Her job at Teneo, Abedin said, was to provide “strategic advice and consulting services to the firms’ management team” as well as helping to organize “a major annual firm event.” |
| Rosalind S. Helderman, Carol D. Leonnig and Alice Crites contributed to this article. | Rosalind S. Helderman, Carol D. Leonnig and Alice Crites contributed to this article. |