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Clinton camp held conference call about Chelsea's mother-in-law

Senior Clinton staffers deliberated about a particularly sensitive topic:
how to manage a complicated relationship with Chelsea Clinton's
mother-in-law, according to an email thread from 2014 unearthed by
WikiLeaks on Wednesday.

First, the backstory. Marjorie Margolies was a Pennsylvania congresswoman
long before Chelsea Clinton married her son, Marc Mezvinsky, in 2010. First
elected to the House in 1992, Margolies lost her job after just one term
when then-President Bill Clinton persuaded her to vote for his 1993 budget
bill — a costly vote given the makeup of her suburban district at the time.
After unsuccessful attempts to restart her political career with runs for
lieutenant governor in 1998 and Senate in 2000, Margolies declared
bankruptcy along with her husband, Edward Mezvinsky (who was himself a
former Iowa congressman). Soon after, authorities became aware of more than $10
million
<http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2013/12/the-clinton-in-law-marjorie-margolies-100696?o=2>
in
illegal financial transactions that ultimately landed Mezvinsky in jail in
2000, and raised questions about Margolies’ own judgment and involvement.

In 2014, Margolies sought to resurrect her career in Congress by running in
a crowded Democratic primary for the seat left open by Rep. Allyson
Schwartz, who was running for governor. Naturally, Margolies was hoping for
some support from her well-connected in-laws.

Aides in Clinton’s inner circle grappled with how to handle the delicate
situation, according to the newest batch of hacked emails from Clinton
campaign chairman John Podesta’s account. A public show of support for
Margolies would have required taking sides in a contested Democratic
primary election in a politically important state — and Chelsea's
mother-in-law was, a decade earlier, the subject of unflattering media
attention surrounding her family's finances.

“Can you get a conference call at 2pm this Wednesday to discuss Margorie's
[sic] primary in PA? We were hoping to avoid getting involved but now that
it is less than a month out, and her campaign is not doing as well as she
had hoped, we are getting increasing pressure to help,” Abedin wrote to top
aides, including Podesta, longtime adviser Cheryl Mills, Philippe Reines,
Minyon Moore, Tina Flournoy and Clinton traveling press secretary Nick
Merrill.

“I can get on for a short time,” Podesta said.

Abedin raised concerns about an upcoming New York Times article about the
Clinton family and Margolies’ campaign.

“The NYT (Amy Chozick) is about to write a story and is specifically asking
if Clintons plan to provide additional help and her story may run soon,”
she wrote.

Brynne Craig, an adviser for states and political engagement, alerted
colleagues to Margolies’ first television campaign ads, as well as news
clips outlining attacks levied against her by Democratic rivals.

“Margolies and Arkoosh have released their first TV ads. I've included them
below as well as in an updated memo,” Craig wrote.

One month after the email among aides circulated, Hillary Clinton held a
fundraiser in New York supporting Margolies’ campaign on May 17, which
Margolies herself did not attend.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/16/marjorie-margolies-hillary-clinton_n_5338857.html>


She ultimately finished second in the 2014 primary, losing to now-Rep.
Brendan Boyle.


Read more:
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Eric D. Schwerin
eschwerin@rosemontseneca.com

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