HFA Publishes Essay About Email Hack

On Saturday, Hillary for America Senior National Spokesperson Glen Caplin published an essay on Medium about the alleged Russian hacking of the email accounts of the Democratic National Committee and HFA Chair John Podesta. In the essay, Caplin questions what Donald Trump and his campaign knew about the hacking and their connection to it. The article, titled “What did Trump know, and when did he know It?” also questions the connection between Trump advisor Roger Stone WikiLeaks following an interview in which Stone admitted to meeting with sources from WikiLeaks. While the essay asks a lot of questions, it does not accuse anyone of any wrong-doing. Read the full essay HERE.

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News Source: Medium, Politico

HFA Highlights Hillary Clinton’s 30 Year Career

Donald Trump is eager to talk about the last 30 years and Hillary Clinton, too, is eager to discuss her three decades of experience and public service. Clinton has dedicated her life to serving others, while Trump has spent decades trying to get ahead at the expense of others. Today, Hillary for America is launch a new website offering a side-by-side comparison of what they were each doing at various times in their lives.  Their records show that there’s only one candidate in this race who truly puts the American people first: Hillary Clinton.

In the 1970s and 80s:

• Clinton’s first job out of law school was with the Children’s Defense Fund, and one of her first tasks was going door to door to figure out why so many children were missing school. The evidence she helped gather was presented to Congress to build the case for the passage of the law that ensures all children with disabilities have access quality education. Later, while a law professor at the University of Arkansas, Clinton founded a legal aid clinic to help low-income children and families in need of legal representation. And as First Lady of Arkansas, she chaired the state’s Education Standards Committee, working to improve the quality of schools and give every child a chance to succeed.

• Trump was President of his dad’s real estate company and the family business when it was sued by the Justice Department for refusing to rent apartments to African Americans in New York City and Virginia. The lawsuit unearthed a disturbing pattern among employees of Trump’s real estate company, who appeared to systematically deny applications to aspiring black renters.  Trump borrowed at least $14 million from his father for his real estate empire.

In the 1990s:

• Clinton worked with Democrats and Republicans to pass the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which insures more than 8 million American kids today. She traveled to China to give a bold, landmark address affirming women’s rights.

• Trump refused to pay contractors on some of his biggest projects and was sued for fraud repeatedly– like Marty Rosenberg, whose family business was paid less than half for its work at Trump’s casino. No business person or contractor proved too small for Trump to stiff. Trump claimed such large losses on his tax returns that he possibly avoided paying federal income taxes for up to 18 years. Trump insulted women for their appearances, calling a former Miss Universe an “eating machine.”

In the 2000s:

• After 9/11, Clinton immediately got to work fighting for first responders and emergency workers. She introduced a bill to speed up the payment of benefits to families of public safety officers who died in the line of duty on 9/11 and it became law a few days later. In 2006, she introduced the Heroes at Home Act to aid veterans with post-traumatic stress or traumatic brain injuries.

• In the Senate, Clinton also worked on improving access to health care and making it more affordable. She fought for Medicare to be able to negotiate for fair drug prices, supported getting generic drugs to market faster, and consistently backed safe prescription drug importation from other countries. She co-authored and worked to pass the Pediatric Research Equity Act, which forced drug companies to conduct pediatric tests on products prescribed for kids. “She also worked on economic issues for New York State, co-founding the bipartisan Senate manufacturing caucus and fighting for New York’s strong manufacturing base and steel industry.

• At the same time, Trump took $150,000 from a program designed to help small businesses in the aftermath of 9/11 and spent years lying about both his personal attachment to 9/11 and his commitment to helping New York recover. Trump also spent his time cheating more than 5,000 students at his scam Trump University and running a sham charitable foundation that spent money on non-charitable expenses like a portrait of himself and personal legal fees, and failed to properly register to raise money in the State of New York. It was reported that Trump repeatedly demeaned a crew member working on The Apprentice and used misogynistic language about female contestants.

In the 2010s:

• Clinton served as Secretary of State. She built the toughest sanctions regime in history on Iran, twisting arms in China, Russia, and dozens of other countries, to force Iran to the negotiating table. And when pressure started working, she sent her closest aides to explore a diplomatic opening that led to a  deal cutting off Iran’s path to a nuclear weapon. She personally negotiated an end to Hamas rockets raining down on Israel in 2012 and worked to build stronger defense programs for Israel, including upgrading the Iron Dome rocket defense system. She worked to ensure ratification of the New START treaty, which will make the world safer by reducing the number of deployed U.S. and Russian strategic nuclear weapons. She fought to make women’s rights a priority in international relations, stood up against sex trafficking of women and children, and led the fight for a UN Security Council resolution to combat sexual violence against women and children around the world that passed unanimously. She advised President Obama on the decision to bring Osama bin Laden to justice — and on May 1, 2011, she was in the Situation Room as the operation unfolded.

The same night as Clinton advised President Obama on the Osama bin Laden raid, Trump was busy appearing on an episode of The Celebrity Apprentice. Trump has spent this decade peddling shameful lies about President Obama’s nationality as the leader of the birther movement; making a deal with Gaddafi to set up a tent on Trump’s property; filing for bankruptcy at Trump Plaza; fighting fraud suits over Trump University; and doling out illegal campaign donations from his sham charitable foundation.

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HFA Statement On U.S. Formally Naming Russia Responsible For Election-Related Hacks

John Podesta, Chair of Hillary of America, released the following statement Friday in response to the U.S. government formally naming the Russian government as responsible for recent hacks intended to interfere with the U.S. presidential election:

“The world now knows, beyond the shadow of any doubt, that the hack of the Democratic National Committee was carried out by the Russian government in a clear attempt to interfere with the integrity of our elections. The only remaining question is why Donald Trump continues to make apologies for the Russians. Trump’s initial reaction to the hack in July was to invite further intrusions by the Russians. Even after he was reportedly briefed on the very findings that were just announced publicly by U.S. government officials, he stood on a debate stage one week ago and played dumb about Russia’s role in this hack. He has repeatedly praised Vladimir Putin, outlined a list of pro-Putin policies, and has done hundreds of millions of dollars of business with Russian interests. Even his own running mate has criticized Putin yet Trump continues to refuse. It should concern every American that Russia is willing to engage in such hostile acts in order to help Donald Trump become President of the United States. But even worse, Trump’s own actions suggests he welcomes the help. If he wants to reassure American voters, he must not only acknowledge and condemn Russia’s role in this outrageous intrusion against U.S. interests, but he must finally disclose the full extent of his ties to Russia and divest any Russian-linked assets.”

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News Source: The Washington Post

Clinton Statement on the Resignation of DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz

On Sunday, Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced she would resign her position following the conclusion of this week’s Democratic National Convention. The resignation comes after leaked emails show that the Democratic operatives favored Hillary Clinton over Senator Bernie Sanders during the primary campaign. Clinton released a statement praising Schultz for her dedication to the party and her constituents in Florida. A copy of Clinton’s statement is below.

“I want to thank my longtime friend Debbie Wasserman Schultz for her leadership of the Democratic National Committee over the past five years. I am grateful to Debbie for getting the Democratic Party to this year’s historic convention in Philadelphia, and I know that this week’s events will be a success thanks to her hard work and leadership. There’s simply no one better at taking the fight to the Republicans than Debbie–which is why I am glad that she has agreed to serve as honorary chair of my campaign’s 50-state program to gain ground and elect Democrats in every part of the country, and will continue to serve as a surrogate for my campaign nationally, in Florida, and in other key states. I look forward to campaigning with Debbie in Florida and helping her in her re-election bid–because as President, I will need fighters like Debbie in Congress who are ready on day one to get to work for the American people.”

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News Source: USA Today

Hillary Clinton Selects Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as Running Mate

On Friday, Hillary Clinton announced that she has selected Virginia Senator Tim Kaine as her running mate. Kaine is a former governor of Virginia and sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Clinton and Kaine will be further introduced to voters during next week’s Democratic National Committee. Clinton and Kaine will campaign together on Saturday in Miami, Florida. The videos and tweets from the announcement are below.

I'm thrilled to announce my running mate, @TimKaine, a man who's devoted his life to fighting for others. -H pic.twitter.com/lTVyfztE5Z

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) July 23, 2016

Just got off the phone with Hillary. I’m honored to be her running mate. Can’t wait to hit the trail tomorrow in Miami!

— Senator Tim Kaine (@timkaine) July 23, 2016

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News Source: CNBC, Politico, Chicago Tribune, Politico, The New York Times

Read: Hillary Clinton’s Broad Presidential Platform

Since launching her campaign last April, Hillary Clinton has outlined a number of major platform points in a series of speeches. Now that it it is clear the general election will be Clinton versus Republican Donald Trump, it is important that Clinton continue to deliver substantive speeches and combat a Trump platform that seems to offer no substance or foundation. Clinton’s platform is built on a career of public service and an understanding of domestic and foreign policies. While not everyone may agree with points of her platform, taken as a whole it is clear that she has put together a solid plan to more the country forward and ensure that everyone has an opportunity to live up to their full potential.

When Clinton has introduced a major platform topic, we add it to the Platform category of the website. Looking through Clinton’s speeches and policy proposals, a clear plan emerges. From Clinton’s kickoff rally in June 2015 to the announcement of the proposed cap on child care costs and expanded early childhood education earlier this month, a list of Clinton’s platform speech topics and announcement dates are below:

• June 13 – “Four Fights” of Campaign
• July 13 – Economic Agenda
• July 27 – Climate Change
• July 31 – Cuban Embargo
• August 10 – College Affordability
• August 18 – Drilling in the Arctic
• August 26 – Agriculture
• September 1 – Substance Abuse
• September 8 – Campaign Finance Reform
• September 9 – Nuclear Agreement with Iran
• September 14 – Sexual Assault
• September 22 – Prescription Drugs
• September 23 – Clean Energy
• October 5 – Gun Control
• October 7 – Trans-Pacific Partnership
• October 8 – Wall Street
• November 4 – US – Israeli Relations
• November 10 – Department of Veterans Affairs
• November 12 – Coal Communities
• November 19 – ISIS and Global Terrorism
• November 20 – Middle-Class Taxes
• November 22 – Caregiver Tax Credits
• November 29 – Infrastructure
• December 8 – Manufacturing (Part 1)
• December 15 – Immigration Reform
• December 15 – Anti-Terrorism
• December 16 – Buffett Rule
• December 20 – LGBT Rights
• December 22 – Alzheimer’s Disease
• January 5 – Autism
• January 11 – Fair Share Surcharge
• February 12 – “Breaking Every Barrier Agenda”
• March 4 – Jobs
• March 23 – Counterterrorism
• April 1 – Manufacturing (Part 2)
• April 13 – Department of Immigrant Affairs
• April 13 – Environmental and Climate Justice
• May 10 – Improved Child Care and Early Childhood Education
• May 25 – Infrastructure Revitalization in First 100 Days
• May 31 – Plan to Assist Military Families
• June 2 – Foreign Policy
• June 13 – Reduction of Gun Violence
• June 24 – Immigration Reform
• June 25 – Democratic National Committee Platform
• June 28 – Empowering Young People to be Entrepreneurs
• June 29 – Initiative on Technology and Innovation
• July 6 – Debt-Free College
• July 7 – Protections for Small Businesses
• July 9 – Universal Health Care

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Hillary for America Statement on FBI Director Comey’s Testimony Before House Committee

On Thursday, FBI Director James Comey appeared before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to answer questions about the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email practices as Secretary of State. House Republicans grilled Comey on the details and the scope of the investigation. Comey explained that there was not a case against Clinton because the material that should have not been shared via email was not marked properly. He also denied claims that the Justice Department worked with Clinton and her allies to ensure no charges were leveled against her.

Hillary for America National Press Secretary Brian Fallon released the following statement regarding the Comey’s testimony:

“Despite the partisan motivations of this hearing, we are glad it took place and that Director Comey had the opportunity to expand upon his remarks from earlier this week. Director Comey’s testimony clearly knocked down a number of false Republican talking points and reconciled apparent contradictions between his previous remarks and Hillary Clinton’s public statements. The Director’s explanations shut the door on any remaining conspiracy theories once and for all. While Republicans may try to keep this issue alive, this hearing proved those efforts will only backfire.”

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News Source: Politico, The Washington Post, Politico, The Los Angeles Times

House Benghazi Committee Releases Final Report

The House Select Committee on Benghazi concluded its multi-year investigation into the terrorist attack on the United States Diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya. The attack resulted in the death of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. Foreign Service Information Management Officer Sean Smith. After reviewing evidence and conducting countless interviews, the committee released its findings at the end of June.

There has been controversy surrounding the committee since its creation in 2014. Democrats have accused Republicans as using the attacks in Benghazi as a way to harm Hillary Clinton’s presidential aspirations. Its critics point to the endless investigations, many of which concluded before the committee was created in 2014. Because of this, the Republican majority and the Democratic minority of the committee have agreed on little. In fact, they even have separate websites covering the investigation. These divisions were made more apparent when Clinton testified for over 10 hours before the committee in October 2015.

On June 27, the minority members of the committee released their findings in a report led by Representative Elijah Cummings. In the report, the minority members focus on the way the committee has acted and the cost to tax payers for an investigation that ultimately yielded no new findings. They also complained that they were largely left out the process of writing the primary report that was released the next day. The report, which consists of 340 pages, is primarily a criticism of the handling of the investigation by the Republicans on the committee and their limited focus on Clinton.

The Republicans released their final report on June 28, a day after the Democrats. In 869 pages, the committee’s Republicans, led by Representative Trey Gowdy, harshly criticized the State Department, Defense Department, and CIA for failing to fully understand the situation that led to the attack in Benghazi. The report criticizes the delayed action by the Obama administration following the attacks. Overall, the committee failed to find any new evidence that changed the narrative of the attack nor could they prove that Clinton was in any way negligent. Instead, the report largely blames systemic issues for the poor response to the attack.

While the committee is responsible for discovering that Clinton used a private email server as Secretary of State, the findings of the committee largely echo that of an investigations conducted by the State Department in 2012 and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 2013. During the Senate hearings in January 2013, Clinton accepted full responsibility for the State Department’s failures leading up to and following the attack. She also spoke about security funding that was cut by Congress arguing that those cuts have made United States diplomatic posts less secure around the world and she urged Congress to increase funding to ensure the safety of diplomats.

Since the release of the report early this week, Clinton has been asked for her thoughts. While she has not had much to say, she did offer a comment late this week saying, “I’ll leave it to others to characterize this report, but I think it’s pretty clear it’s time to move on.”

While many agree that it is time to move on, we want to ensure that the report, and every other report released on the Benghazi investigation are fully available to readers in the interest of full transparency. Therefore, we have gathered all the internal investigations and reports into the Benghazi attack into one place. Below, you will find a collection of websites for each the investigative committees as well as a collection of hearings and reports released by Congress and the State Department.

• House Select Committee on Benghazi Majority Website
• House Select Committee on Benghazi Minority Website
• House Republican Investigation of Benghazi Website
• U.S. State Department Accountability Review Board

Date	Investigator	Type
October 10, 2012	House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform	Hearing
November 15, 2012	House Committee on Foreign Affairs (Part 1)	Hearing
November 15, 2012	House Committee on Foreign Affairs (Part 2)	Hearing
December 2012	State Department Accountability Review Board	Report
December 20, 2012	Senate Committee on Foreign Relations	Hearing
January 23, 2013	House Committee on Foreign Affairs	Hearing
February 7, 2013	Senate Committee on Armed Services	Hearing
April 23, 2013	Progress Report by the House Republican Conference	Report
May 8, 2013	House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform	Hearing
September 16, 2013	House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform	Report
September 18, 2013	House Committee on Foreign Affairs	Hearing
September 19, 2013	House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform	Hearing
January 15, 2014	Senate Select Committee on Intelligence	Report
February 7, 2014	House Foreign Affairs Committee	Majority Report
September 17, 2014	House Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, Libya	Hearing
January 27, 2015	House Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, Libya	Hearing
October 22, 2015	House Select Committee on the Events Surrounding the 2012 Terrorist Attacks in Benghazi, Libya	Hearing
June 27, 2016	House Select Committee on Benghazi	Minority Report
June 28, 2016	House Select Committee on Benghazi	Majority Report

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News Source: The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, The New York Times, The Washington Post

Hillary Clinton Statement on Passage of Puerto Rico Debt Bill

On Wednesday, Congress passed a debt relief plan for Puerto Rico which has begun defaulting on its debts. The bill has been sent to President Barack Obama for his signature. The bill includes a number of provisions including the creation of an oversight committee. Hillary Clinton released a statement in which she expressed her concern over the creation and appointments to the committee. She vowed to continue working with Puerto Rico if elected president, and promised to work to bring more benefits to the territory. A copy of Clinton’s statement is below:

“Puerto Rico’s continuing economic crisis has caused real suffering for the people of the island.  The bill the Senate passed today is the best chance we have of averting a fiscal crisis on July 1. The bill is by no means perfect, and I continue to have serious concerns about some of the provisions it contains. That’s why, as this bill is implemented, I will continue to stand with the people of Puerto Rico to ensure that the oversight board created by this legislation is made up of members who will act in the best interest of Puerto Ricans, and protect their health care, pensions, wages, and well-being. And it is past time that we put the interests of American citizens ahead of hedge fund profits—which is why I will fight with the people of Puerto Rico to put the island’s economy back on a stable and prosperous path, including by ensuring Puerto Rico is treated equitably under federal law.”

En español:

“La continua crisis económica de Puerto Rico ha causado gran sufrimiento en los puertorriqueños. El proyecto de ley aprobado hoy por el Senado es la mejor opción que tenemos en este momento para evitar una crisis fiscal el 1ro de julio. El proyecto no es para nada perfecto y continúo teniendo serias preocupaciones sobre algunas de las provisiones. Es por eso que a medida que la ley se implemente yo continuaré estando del lado del pueblo de Puerto Rico. Quiero asegurarme que la junta de supervisión creada por esta legislación esté compuesta por miembros que actúen trabajando por el mejor interés de los puertorriqueños, protegiendo su sistema de salud, sus pensiones, sus salarios y su bienestar. Desde hace tiempo deberíamos haber puesto los intereses de ciudadanos estadounidenses por encima de las ganancias de los gestores de fondos. Es por eso que lucharé junto con el pueblo de Puerto Rico para poner la economía de la Isla de vuelta en un camino de estabilidad y prosperidad, incluyendo asegurarnos de que Puerto Rico sea tratado con igualdad bajo la ley federal.”

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News Source: The Wall Street Journal

Democratic National Convention Details

We are a little over a month away from the 2016 Democratic National Convention. The convention will be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the Wells Fargo Center. The event will be held July 25 – 28 and will include delegates from all 50 states, Washington, DC, and U.S. territories. The main purpose of the convention is the formal nomination of the Democratic Party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates. Democrat Hillary Clinton secured the required number of delegates required for the nomination in early June making her the first female presidential candidate to secure the nomination of a major political party. The Clinton camp is now working to select a running mate and build her team.

The convention will have a large online presence and you can follow along on their website (demconvention.com), Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can sign up to volunteer at the convention by visiting the Volunteer Opportunities page.

More details will be released as the convention nears; however, mark your calendars now as this year’s convention looks like it is going to make history!

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News Source: DNC