New emails released by Wikileaks today show Hillary Clinton campaign staffers were apprehensive about the concept of raising money off the Benghazi hearings … then totally abandoning that position when they realized how much they could actually make.
As Hillary prepared to testify before the House Select Committee on Benghazi, staffers sent out fundraising emails and the candidate herself tweeted a link where supporters could donate and get a free “I’m with her” sticker.
The Daily Mail’s David Martosko reported that, “A prominent website link” in an email from Clinton campaign chair, John Podesta, “pointed to a landing page requesting amounts ranging from $10 to $500 for Clinton’s White House bid.”
According to newly leaked emails, Podesta was actually apprehensive about sending out these very fundraising emails over Benghazi because the Democrats had criticized Republicans for doing the same in the past.
Clinton campaign and Dems had reservations about raising money off of Benghazi hearing… Until they saw the numbers. #PodestaEmails6 #tcot pic.twitter.com/3oqakbyfL7
— The Mental Recession (@rustyweiss74) October 13, 2016
“Having some second thoughts on this,” Podesta wrote in response to a list of fundraising suggestion. “If we are attacking them for raising $ Off committee should we do this the day before the hearing?”
Top Clinton aide, Robbie Mook, responded that any second thoughts went out the window when he saw how much they were getting in donations.
“Had reservations too,” Mook wrote, “but abandoned them when the digital team said we are in the 250-500+ range.”
The numbers appear to suggest what the typical donation may have been – $250 or $500 – to the Benghazi fundraising effort.
Mook also justified the effort by saying the DCCC informed him “they are going to fundraise as well.”
The email solicitation Podesta and company eventually landed on stated:
“We don’t know exactly what will happen tomorrow when Hillary goes before the politically-motivated, Republican-run Benghazi Committee, but I can tell you one thing for damn sure: It will be an important day to be in Hillary Clinton’s corner.”
Imagine that – fundraising off the graves of four Americans, asking people to be in Hillary’s corner.
If only she were in the corner of Chris Stevens, Glen Doherty, Sean Smith, and Tyrone Woods that terrible night.
Comment: Are you surprised that the prospect of big money made Democrats change their minds about fundraising off of Benghazi? Share your thoughts below.
