Although at times she used a private email account, in her final days as Counselor of the US Department of State and Chief of Staff to the Secretary of State, Cheryl Mills sent an email from her government email address to her fellow "Dream Team" associates, which included former Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs Richard Verma, who was then on Hillary Clinton's Foreign Affairs Policy Board at the same time he worked for international law firm Steptoe & Johnson, and Miguel Rodriguez, former Chief Counsel and Legislative Director for Clinton, when she was a Democratic New York senator.
Another email in the chain was sent by Rodriguez, who is currently an attorney for Bryan Cave, where he now represents Huma Abedin, the vice chairwoman for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign for president and her former deputy chief of staff. Abedin is under fire for using an email address on the former Secretary of State's private server for government business while working at the State Department. Former Congressman Anthony Weiner's wife - who famously "stood by her man" after he embarrassingly resigned after lying about being hacked to cover up a sexting scandal - may face charges if she sent classified documents or info to Clinton, and she is also being investigated for alleged "embezzlement", according to an Inspector General's report. Rodriguez was also added to a 'Super PAC' "seeking eight-figure checks" for Clinton's presidential bid, as I reported on August 1, 2015.
The exact email address for the fourth "Dream Team" member appears to belong to David S. Adams, but was redacted by the State Department, and his name doesn't appear in any of the three emails. A Google search for "cripplecreek61" reveals that it's also the name of the Twitter account that's associated to a user named David S. Adams, which was started in August of 2013. No tweets have ever been sent by @Cripplecreek61, but it follows Clinton, the State Department, the White House, a few media outlets and other government agencies. Adams was born in 1961, and he may have named his email address after the 1969 song, "Up On Cripple Creek" by The Band.
"Thank you all - for today, the last months, for four years of impeccable support and stewardship," Mills wrote. "You have always been ground zero for what she was able to do on the hill - yesterday and the past four years are a testament to your work, love and support."
Mills added, "Miguel was there representing all of you today - and it was like having you all in the room."
The email was sent on January 24, 2013 at nearly 3 A.M., and appears to be referring to Hillary Clinton's first testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee regarding the Benghazi attacks, earlier that day. Mills sat right next to Clinton as she testified in the morning and afternoon that Wednesday.
Rodriguez was being promoted to a higher position at the White House that week, while Clinton, Mills, Verma and Adams were leaving the State Department in 2013. "S" appears to be a reference to the former State Secretary.
"I'm hardly qualified to be the spokesman for this group, but it's been a tremendous four years," Rodriguez wrote Mills, Verma and, apparently, Adams. "Top to bottom, I think everyone can be proud."
He continued, "I've said it many times before but it's worth repeating -- most principals rely on staff to prop them up so they can look good. S is the rare person where the converse is true -- she lifts us all up and makes us all look good."
"Nice from miguel re what you do for all," Mills added, in a note to Clinton, who she forwarded the chain to a few hours later, at nearly 5:30 AM.
After leaving the State Department, Adams landed a job with Global Solutions, a lobbying firm owned by President Barack Obama adviser Anthony Podesta, whose brother is John Podesta, Chief of Staff for former President Bill Clinton and who also served as the current president's transition chief. Anthony Podesta worked on Bill Clinton's campaign, and as the Washington Post reported last July, bundled $74,575 for Hillary Clinton's current presidential campaign.
According, to his biography at Global Solutions, "Over the course of his career, David has served as a trusted adviser to both congressional leadership and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and earned the respect of the decision-makers who matter most. A tested negotiator, he has been instrumental in some of the most significant foreign affairs debates of the past decade and his understanding of the Obama administration’s foreign policy agenda is far-reaching. As Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs, David was the chief legislative adviser to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and was instrumental in facilitating the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012, civil nuclear cooperation agreements with Russia and Australia and the successful confirmation of 122 nominees. Previously, as Deputy Assistant Secretary for House Affairs, he was also key to the development of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010, as well as approval of major arms sales to Saudi Arabia and Iraq and a civil nuclear cooperation agreement with the United Arab Emirates."
Earlier today, I sent an email to Mr. Adams, but I haven't heard back from him, yet. I asked him the following questions: "Can you please confirm that 'cripplecreek61' is or was your private email address? Were you using the Clinton email server or another personal one? Did you use this email address frequently while serving as the Assistant Secretary of State for Legislative Affairs of the United States Department of State? Did you use this email address on any official business in emails to Hillary Clinton or anyone else in the government? And when exactly did you leave your State Department position in 2013?"
2 comments:
Where did Adams work in 2009? Also whatever came of your inquiry in the last paragraph?
He first served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for the House under Clinton in 2009, while Rodriguez handled Senate role.
And, of course, he ducked my email.
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