Officials: More work emails from Hillary Clinton’s private account
The Obama administration has discovered a chain of emails that Hillary Rodham Clinton failed to turn over when she provided what she said was the full record of work-related correspondence as secretary of state, officials said Friday, adding to the growing questions related to the Democratic presidential front-runner’s unusual usage of a private email account and server while in government. The messages were exchanged with retired Gen. David Petraeus when he headed the military’s U.S. Central Command, responsible for running the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They began before Clinton entered office and continued into her first days at the State Department. They largely pertained to personnel matters and don’t appear to deal with highly classified material, officials said, but their existence challenges Clinton’s claim that she has handed over the entirety of her work emails from the account. Republicans have raised questions about thousands of emails that she has deleted on grounds that they were private in nature, as well as other messages that have surfaced independently of Clinton and the State Department. Speaking of her emails on CBS’ “Face the Nation” this week, Clinton said: “We provided all of them.” But the FBI and several congressional committees are investigating. The State Department’s record of Clinton emails begins on March 18, 2009 — almost two months after she entered office. Before then, Clinton has said she used an old AT&T Blackberry email account, the contents of which she no longer can access. The Petraeus emails, first discovered by the Defense Department and then passed to the State Department’s inspector general, challenge that claim. They start on Jan. 10, 2009, with Clinton using the older email account. But by Jan. 28 — a week after her swearing in — she switched to using the private email address on a homebrew server that she would rely on for the rest of her tenure. There are less than 10 emails back and forth in total, officials said, and the chain ends on Feb. 1. The officials weren’t authorized to speak on the matter and demanded anonymity. But State Department spokesman John Kirby confirmed that the agency received the emails in the “last several days” and that they “were not previously in the possession of the department.” Kirby said they would be subject to a Freedom of Information Act review like the rest of Clinton’s emails. She gave the department some 30,000 emails last year that she sent or received while in office, and officials plan to finish releasing all of them by the end of January, after sensitive or classified information is censored. A quarter has been made public so far. Additionally, Kirby said the agency will incorporate the newly discovered emails into a review of record retention practices that Clinton’s successor, Secretary of State John Kerry, initiated in March. “We have also informed Congress of this matter,” he added. These steps are unlikely to satisfy Clinton’s Republican critics. The House Benghazi Committee plans to hold a public hearing with Clinton next month to hear specifically about what the emails might say about the attack on a U.S. diplomatic outpost in Libya that killed four Americans on Sept. 11, 2012. And the Senate Judiciary Committee’s GOP chairman said he wants the Justice Department to tell him if a criminal investigation is underway into Clinton’s use of private email amid reports this week that the FBI recovered deleted emails from her server. The Senate Homeland Security Committee also is looking into the matter. Clinton has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. “When I did it, it was allowed, it was above board. And now I’m being as transparent as possible, more than anybody else ever has been,” she said earlier this week. In August, Clinton submitted a sworn statement to a U.S. District Court saying she had directed all her work emails to be provided to the State Department. “On information and belief, this has been done,” she said in a declaration submitted as part of a lawsuit with Judicial Watch, a conservative advocacy group. The Clinton campaign didn’t respond immediately to a request from The Associated Press for comment, but on Twitter, Brian Fallon, the Clinton campaign’s press secretary, wrote Friday: “We always said the emails given to State dated back only to March 09. That was when she started using https://clintonemail.com .” Clinton has been dogged for months by questions about her email practices. She initially described her choice as a matter of convenience, but later took responsibility for making a wrong decision. Separately Friday, State Department officials said they were providing the Benghazi-focused probe more email exchanges from senior officials pertaining to Libya. The committee broadened its scope after examining tens of thousands of documents more specifically focused on the Benghazi attack. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
5 things you need to know about Congress this week: 9/25/15
It may have had a slow start, preparing for Pope Francis, but this week in Congress turned out to be a game-changer. Here are five things that happened in Congress this week that you need to know: House Speaker John Boehner announces resignation The 13-term Ohio Congressman who led the Republican party to an impressive House majority in 2010 and again in 2012, announced he’s stepping down as Speaker of the House and will resign from Congress at the end of October. Why it matters? With a possible government shutdown on the line, over Planned Parenthood funding, Boehner was working toward a budget agreement that would avert another government shutdown whilst facing significant pushback from the conservatives in the party who were threatening to unseat him as Speaker if he acted against their wishes. Now, Boehner can simply pass a deal with the help of Democrats to keep the government from shutting down on Sept. 30. McConnell’s cloture dilemma Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has yet again come up short in finding the necessary 60 votes to move forward bills by cloture. Thursday, McConnell’s effort to move a bill that would fund the government through Dec. 11, while redirecting federal funding for Planned Parenthood to other community health providers, failed 47-52. Why it matters: Earlier this month McConnell failed to find the votes to invoke cloture over the President’s Iran nuclear deal, coming up two votes shy of ending debate. With more significant votes on the horizon, McConnell must work even harder to corral the disappointed caucus and move legislation forward in order to prove the success of the new Senate leadership as we prepare to enter a presidential election year. Pope Francis addresses Congress Making history, the pope gave a 50-minute speech to a join session of Congress, where he touched on several controversial themes of his papacy in front of lawmakers — immigration, the refugee crisis, climate change and the death penalty — calling on the deeply divided Congress to come together and renew a “spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously for the common good.” Why it matters: Pope Francis not only became the first-ever pontiff to address a joint-session of Congress, but he also had the ear of both chambers, an honor typically reserved to the President of the United States and other global political leaders. NSA Chief testifies that Hillary Clinton emails were an ‘opportunity’ for foreign spy agencies During a hearing on the NSA, GOP Senator Tom Cotton queried National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers with a series of questions related to Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server at her home for communications as secretary of state. Why it matters: Once the overwhelming favorite for the Democratic party’s presidential nomination, Hillary Clinton again finds her campaign efforts overshadowed by her decision to use a private email server while Secretary of State. This has left some Democrats to look for an alternative — primarily the undeclared Vice President Joe Biden and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. Senate Democrats offer climate change bill The same week China announced its promise to create the globe’s largest cap-and-trade program in order to help developing countries slash their greenhouse gas emissions, Senate Democratic leaders unveiled their own climate change plan. Their measure that calls for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2 percent annually through 2025 — a cut even greater than the controversial goal set by the Obama administration. Why it matters: While the bill doesn’t stand a chance of passing with a Republican-controlled Congress, Senate Democrats believe their aggressive climate change efforts will help them win the hearts of countries around the globe, and ultimately American voters who will elect them to take back control of the Senate in 2016.
Presidential TV ad roundup: Sept. 25 edition
With a crowded field, presidential campaign ad spending is officially picking up, and is quickly outpacing the 2012 spending levels. According to data from NBC ad-tracking partner SMG Delta, as of last week a whopping near-$20 million has been spent in TV ads for the 2016 race. Compare that with only $2.1 million at this same juncture in the 2012 contest. While most of the money is pouring in and being spent by Super PACs or outside groups, campaigns themselves are also consistently releasing ads. Here’s a roundup of all the Presidential TV ads from this past two weeks: Jeb Bush Title: Reform and growth Published: September 12, 2015 Tone: Informative and realistic Title: Todos Somos Americanos (Spanish ad) Published: September 14, 2015 Tone: Sincere Title: Opportunity for all, favoritism for none Published: September 18, 2015 Tone: Confident Title: Jeb tackles regulatory reform Published: September 24, 2015 Tone: Experienced and factual Ted Cruz Title: Scorpion Published: September 16, 2015 Tone: Ominous Title: Win this fight Published: September 19, 2015 Tone: N/A: No words, just text Marco Rubio Title: America’s Education System Needs A Disruption Published: September 12, 2015 Tone: Informed and sincere Title: Marco Rubio: The President’s Approach To Israel Is Dangerous Published: September 16, 2015 Tone: Forthright Title: Marco Rubio: We Need Leaders To Show The Way Published: September 18, 2015 Tone: Encouraging and proud Hillary Clinton Title: Every Child Published: September 2, 2015 Tone: Impassioned Title: Join Women for Hillary Published: September 24, 2015 Tone: Friendly and passionate
Alabama delegation reacts to John Boehner resignation
John Boehner, the 13-term Ohio Congressman who led the Republican party to an impressive House majority in 2010 and again in 2012, announced he’s stepping down as Speaker of the House and will resign from Congress at the end of October. Boehner, who has presided over the House since 2011, shocked his Republican colleagues early Friday when he announced his decision in a closed-door meeting. Boehner told the room he had only planned to serve in Congress until the end of last year, but quickly changed his plans when former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) unexpectedly lost his seat. “The first job of any Speaker is to protect this institution that we all love. It was my plan to only serve as Speaker until the end of last year, but I stayed on to provide continuity to the Republican Conference and the House,” Boehner said in a statement. “It is my view, however, that prolonged leadership turmoil would do irreparable damage to the institution. To that end, I will resign the Speakership and my seat in Congress on October 30.” Alabama delegation reactions to Boehner’s abrupt announcement: U.S. Rep. Bradley Byrne (AL-01): I want to thank Speaker Boehner for his service to Congress and our nation. Now is the time for our Republican Conference to put our differences aside and unite behind a leader who not only helps push back against the Obama agenda but who also offers conservative solutions to solve problems facing the American people. U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (AL-02): Speaker Boehner is a truly humble man who cares deeply for this institution. Indeed, Speaker Boehner worked hard to restore honor and integrity to the ‘People’s House.’ I appreciate his service to this country and wish him well in his much-deserved retirement. The selection of the next Speaker is a very important decision. The Speaker of the House serves not only as the leader of our Republican Conference but of the entire House of Representatives and is second in line to the Presidency. I will be looking for someone to step forward who can boldly advance our agenda of conservative solutions while effectively managing the House in an incredibly fractious environment. That decision will take place more than a month from now within the House Republican Conference. In the meantime, we have serious budget issues to deal with, and that remains my primary focus. U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (AL-03): Although I have had concerns about John Boehner’s time as Speaker, I appreciate the work he has done and acknowledge the tough position he was in. I think changing leaders mid-Congress is a terrible precedent for the institution of the House of Representatives, but I am confident we will find a very able replacement for Speaker soon. I wish Mr. Boehner the best in his retirement. U.S. Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-06): Speaker Boehner’s decision to step down as Speaker is an extraordinary act of leadership. He did something that is very rare in politics, and among others who hold power: he voluntarily gave it up. In doing so, he put what was in the best interest of the people he was leading ahead of his own interests. And it is for this that he should be remembered. Be sure to check back for updates — Alabama Today will continue to update as reactions come in.
Marco Rubio calls opponent Donald Trump ‘touchy and insecure’
Republican presidential candidate Marco Rubio jabbed billionaire businessman Donald Trump as “touchy and insecure” on Thursday, joining the chorus of Trump critics who have intensified pressure on the GOP front-runner in recent weeks. The Florida senator also challenged Trump’s command of the issues during an interview with Kentucky Sports Radio, the most widely listened-to sports talk show in the state. Before Thursday, Rubio was among the few Republican White House hopefuls who largely avoided engaging with Trump. A day earlier, Trump had called Rubio a “lightweight” while campaigning in South Carolina and criticized his lack of foreign policy experience. The former reality television star has lashed out at several Republican rivals in a campaign consumed by personal attacks at times. Breaking his silence on Trump, Rubio responded Thursday that the real estate mogul relies on attacking people. “He had a really bad debate performance last week. He’s not well informed on the issues. He really never talks about issues and can’t have more than a 10-second soundbite on any key issue,” Rubio said. “I think he’s kind of been exposed a little bit over the last seven days and he’s a touchy and insecure guy. So that’s how he reacts and people can see through it.” Appearing later on the Fox News program “The O’Reilly Factor” Rubio repeated his jabs against Trump when pressed by host Bill O’Reilly if the GOP front-runner has enough “depth” to deal with major issues facing the country. “He can’t have a conversation about policy because, quite frankly, he doesn’t know anything about policy,” said Rubio, who asserted that Trump’s “foreign policy apparently is a secret he can’t tell us because he doesn’t want to reveal it to the enemy.” Rubio is one of several Republican presidential candidates taking an interest in Kentucky since the state party voted to have a presidential caucus on March 5 instead of its traditional primary in May. The shift allows Republican contender Rand Paul, the state’s junior U.S. senator, to work around a state law banning candidates from appearing on the ballot twice in the same election. Paul, who is up for re-election in November, paid the state GOP $250,000 to cover the cost of the shift. The caucus has generated interest from other candidates given Paul’s continued slide in the polls and the caucus’ unusual rules that allow candidates to claim delegates with as little as 5 percent of support. Thursday, Republican candidate Jeb Bush visited Louisville for a state party fundraiser and became the first candidate to pay the $15,000 filing fee to participate in the caucus. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Janet Yellen says she expects Fed to raise rates by year’s end
Chair Janet Yellen said Thursday that she expects the Federal Reserve to begin raising interest rates from record lows by the end of the year. In a lecture at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Yellen said she thought inflation would gradually move up to the Fed’s target rate of 2 percent as unusually low oil prices and other factors prove temporary. And she suggested that global economic weakness won’t likely be significant enough to dissuade the Fed from raising its key short-term rate from zero by December. Yellen’s comments may help clarify doubts about the Fed’s intentions that deepened last week after its latest policy meeting ended. The Fed chose not to raise rates, citing global economic pressures and concern about excessively low inflation. That decision raised worries that the Fed had greater concerns about economic problems in China and falling stock markets than investors had previously thought. In her speech Thursday, Yellen said Fed officials continue to monitor economic troubles abroad. But she said officials don’t think those challenges will significantly influence the central bank’s interest-rate decisions. Toward the end of the speech, Yellen, 69, paused twice for several seconds, appearing to have lost her place in the text. The Fed said in a statement later that Yellen “felt dehydrated at the end of a long speech under bright lights.” The Fed statement said she was seen by emergency medical personnel and “felt fine afterward and has continued her schedule Thursday evening.” At a news conference last week, Yellen had avoided saying whether she herself still thought a rate hike would be justified this year. She said she preferred to convey the collective view of the Fed’s policymaking committee, which establishes the central bank’s rate decisions. But on Thursday, Yellen included herself, saying, “Most of my colleagues and I anticipate that it will likely be appropriate to raise the target range for the federal funds rate sometime later this year.” The Fed has two remaining meetings for this year, Oct. 27-28 and Dec. 15-16. Many economists say they doubt the Fed would have enough new information to be confident about hiking rates in October but say they do expect a move in December as long as nothing unexpected happens to threaten the economy. “Our base-case scenario is still that the Fed will begin to hike rates in December,” said Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics. He cautioned, though, that any government shutdown caused by battles over the federal budget or a failure to raise the government’s borrowing limit in a timely way could cause the Fed to further delay a rate increase. As she has before, Yellen stressed that when the Fed does begin raising rates, it expects the increases to be extremely gradual. The central bank has left its benchmark rate at a record low since 2008. It last raised rates in 2006. She also emphasized that the Fed has made no final decision about a rate hike. The decision still depends on further progress toward the Fed’s dual mandates: Maximizing employment and maintaining price stability, which the Fed defines as inflation rising at a modest annual pace of 2 percent. In August, the U.S. unemployment rate reached a seven-year low of 5.1 percent, essentially achieving the Fed’s job goal. But inflation has been running below the Fed’s target for more than three years and recently has fallen even farther from the 2 percent goal. Ultra-low inflation has resulted in part from a plunge in energy prices over the past year and a higher-valued dollar, which has made imports cheaper. Yellen said Fed officials still think the depressive effects of the dollar and energy prices will fade, allowing inflation to return to the 2 percent level. She noted that the Fed expects low unemployment to eventually accelerate wage gains. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
NSA Director: Hillary Clinton private email server open to spying
National Security Agency Director Mike Rogers says a foreign official who used a private email server to communicate would present a spying opportunity for the U.S. Rogers told senators at a hearing Thursday that he didn’t want to get dragged into the Hillary Clinton email controversy. But he acknowledged to Arkansas Republican Tom Cotton that the communications of senior U.S. officials are highly sought after by foreign intelligence agencies. Rogers says that if he learned that a top foreign official was emailing over a private server, he would consider that an intelligence-gathering opportunity. Clinton has said she is sorry she used a private email server as her exclusive email account for government business when she was secretary of state, but the issue has continued to shadow her presidential campaign. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Luther Strange: Ethics commission decision blurs lines between legislators, lobbyists
Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange and state prosecutors have asked the state Ethics Commission to reconsider an advisory opinion that they said could undermine enforcement of state ethics law. Strange and Scott Anderson, president of the Alabama District Attorneys’ Association, sent a Sept. 10 letter asking commissioners to revisit advice given to Rep. Patricia Todd, D-Birmingham, last month. Commissioners said Todd could advocate and vote on bills backed by her employer, an organization that works on gay and lesbian issues, as long as there wasn’t a financial interest involved. Strange said he feared the opinion blurs the lines between legislator and lobbyist. The opinion was cited by Indicted House Speaker Mike Hubbard, R-Auburn, as he seeks to dismiss ethics charges against him. Commissioners in the 4-1 opinion said Todd, may “advocate” for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community, and “may sponsor and vote on legislation affecting the LGBT community while serving as the Director of HRC Alabama, as her advocacy actions will be issue-based and will not provide any personal benefit to herself or her employer.” “After careful review of this opinion, which practically permits an interest group to pay a legislator to lobby the legislature and state and local governments, we find the ethics commission analysis to be fatally flawed and ask the Ethics Commission to withdraw and reconsider this opinion,” Strange and Anderson wrote. Strange said he wanted to be clear that his concern was about the “larger ramifications” and was not an attack on Todd or her employer, the Human Rights Campaign. Todd is the state’s only openly gay legislator, and for years has been one of the most outspoken advocates on gay and lesbian issues. She took the job with the Human Rights Campaign this year. The opinion has become a focal point in the Hubbard case. The powerful Republican faces 23 felony ethics charges accusing him of using his public offices to benefit his businesses and clients. One of the charges against Hubbard accuses him of voting on budget language that could have benefited a client. The 2013 budget approved by the House included language that set out the requirements for a pharmacy benefit manager if the Alabama Medicaid Agency ever decided to hire a company to handle prescriptions. The Bessemer-based American Pharmacy Cooperative, Inc. — which was a client of Hubbard’s — was the only group that met the requirements, according to prosecutors. The state Medicaid agency did not ask for that language, and only one company would qualify under the language — the Bessemer company — State Health Officer Don Williamson said last year. Hubbard’s defense argued that he did not have a conflict of interest because he was being paid to promote the company in the state and that any gain to APCI was “theoretical.” His defense also disputed that APCI was the only qualified company. Ethics Commission Director Tom Albritton said he will present the attorney general’s request for reconsideration to the commission next month. “We are always concerned about getting the answer right, and for that reason value the input of all those affected by the Act which certainly includes the Office of the Attorney General and the state’s District Attorneys. Albritton also noted however, that “Rep. Todd specifically stated in her request that she would not lobby state officials.” Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
