Clinton Camp Furious Over Strategist’s Meeting With Colombian Officials on Trade Deal
Sources in the Hillary Clinton campaign told FOX News Friday that staff “outrage” is hitting a boiling point over senior strategist Mark Penn’s meeting Monday with Colombian officials to discuss passage of a trade deal that Clinton vehemently opposes.
Penn has apologized to Clinton, who knew nothing of the meeting until it was revealed Friday in The Wall Street Journal. Sources said Clinton discussed the matter directly with Penn and expressed displeasure.
“The meeting was an error in judgment that will not be repeated and I am sorry for it. The senator’s well-known opposition to this trade deal is clear and was not discussed,” Penn said in a public statement.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Penn met Monday with the Colombian officials as part of his job as chief executive of the lobbying and public relations firm Burson-Marsteller Worldwide.
Other Clinton officials are furious Penn would divert attention from Clinton’s campaign to curry favor with the Colombian government on behalf of the free trade deal. One chief concern is that Penn’s meeting conflicts with Clinton’s statements denouncing Colombia for using violence against union organizers.
“It makes me sick to come here hour after hour and fight for this campaign while Penn is off doing something that hurts the campaign and makes him a bunch of money,” said one aggravated Clinton loyalist.
Penn’s campaign position, however, seems secure.
Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said earlier Penn’s meeting does not reflect the campaign’s stance on Colombia.
“Sen. Clinton’s opposition to the Colombian trade deal remains pretty clear,” he said. Penn’s “meetings were not in any way on behalf of her campaign. … It does not affect her opposition whatsoever to the trade bill.”
Both Clinton and Barack Obama oppose the Colombian trade deal. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe earlier in the week called Obama’s opposition the product of “political calculations.”
The Colombian government is trying to secure congressional passage of the agreement signed in 2006 by Uribe and the Bush administration. According to Justice Department filings, Colombia last year agreed to pay Burson-Marsteller $300,000 to help “educate members of the U.S. Congress and other audiences” about the trade deal and secure continued U.S. funding for the $5 billion anti-narcotics program Plan Colombia.
In economic terms, the deal would largely open up the Colombian markets for American goods without many of the duties that now exist. Colombia is already able to send most products to the United States duty-free, but the deal would cement that preferential access.
Penn has come under criticism for other Burson-Marsteller clients, including tobacco giant Philip Morris and corporate clients accused of union-busting activity. While Penn says he does not personally work on any accounts that could be construed as anti-labor, labor leaders including Teamsters president James Hoffa have publicly expressed concern about his involvement with the campaign.
Penn’s political consulting firm, Penn, Schoen & Berland, has been paid $10.8 million so far by Clinton’s campaign.
Click here to read the story about the Colombia trade deal talks in The Wall Street Journal.
FOX News’ Major Garrett, Aaron Bruns and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Yes-sir-ee — just more stuff to make us confident in Hillary’s vast experience and leadership. She can’t even run her own campaign, and yet she wants to be in charge of MY healthcare.
This guy always acts like an Obama campaign employee out to sabotage her campaign. Kick him to the curb Hill.
YEP, she’s upset,,,,wink,,,,wink. Hilliary’s been in bed with strategist’s like Penn her whole life. Why would anyone be surprised. Now someone in her campaign has their hand in the cookie jar and she will say she didn’t know about his meetings. Kinda makes you wonder what would go on in the government with her as president if she can’t police her own staff.
Nice comment by dz down TX way
I also found it interesting that Mark Penn is doing triple duty these days:
1. CEO of a lobbying and PR firm
2. Head of a political consulting firm
3. chief strategist for the Clinton campaign
Any appearance of conflict of interest to anybody else ?
Here’s another question. If he’s working full time for Hillary while pulling down a full time salary working for Burson-Marsteller, but for the time he spends busting unions and raking in money from special interests Hillary claims to oppose, isn’t that like, well, illegal? Seems like Burson-Marsteller is making a political donation to Hillary. And how many other people from Burson-Marsteller are working on her campaign while getting a salary from Burson?
Listen up PA blue collar workers. Hillary’s chief strategist is lobbying for more jobs to be shipped over seas. I wonder to which part of Hillary’s 100 million-dollar-plus fortune this agreement with Columbia would benefit.
Is anyone honestly surprised by this? One wink leads to another. Nothing quite takes the place of two sides of your mouth to speak out of. I am sure with the 70+ million they have left after their taxes that they can easily afford to leave the country and find a rock to hide out on. They can have a co-presidency in Antarctica or some where.
I must agree with Jay about the length of time it takes for the actions of mr.clinton to effect the country but so many people have no clue about all the things that took place during that time as sen. clinton is so aware of. It seems that she belives that we have all been sleeping as she was during the bill & monica episode and that americans will just lie down for her lies also, from this Columbia ordeal to Bosnia to her stance on the Iraq war. It s being reported as her desire to do what the people want as it is also with the oboma campaign.I for one [and except for a minute few] would like to see our country continue to be protected and some morality brought back into our NATION . That surely will NOT happen if either of the two are elected due to their well known campaign platform which includes the white flags of war to the embracing of the GAY RIGHTS AGENDA which is indeed contrary to the will of the majority of the people that they pretend to represent. I know we are many and if more people would wake up to the issues insted of voting on the basis of gender or color [DUH] ,by Nov. our numbers will increace and hopefully we can get back on track. THATS ALL FOLKS GOD BLESS….
…And the plot thickens - left alone, the truth eventually floats to the top.
I cannot believe Miss Hillary didn’t know what Penn was doing. Don’t they clear it with her first. If she doesn’t know what’s going on in with her committe, she won’t know how to run the Presidency either. Just another one of the Clinton LIES. We don’t need another Clinton in the White House. What does White mean? Pure….They are far from it. We don’t need a Dumocrat in the WHITE HOUSE. Vote John McCain
These are the most reckless people that i have ever witnessed. Wake up America