Blumenthal offered Hillary Benghazi defense from Media Matters

 

Long-time Clinton confidante Sidney Blumenthal sent Hillary Clinton an email containing links to blog postings he helped to generate for the progressive activist group Media Matters allegedly “refuting” right-wing “smears” about the September 11, 2012, Benghazi attacks.

Blumenthal had suggested to Clinton that the State Department circulate the Media Matters postings on Benghazi.

Blumenthal serves as an on-and-off paid consultant for Media Matters. Since 2009, he also has been a paid employee for the Clintons’ non-profit, The Clinton Foundation.

Blumenthal had sent Clinton an email with the Media Matters links followed by a message reading, “H: Got all these done. Complete refutation on Libya smear. Philippe can circulate these links. Sid.”

Philippe was most likely a reference to Philippe I. Reines, who served as Clinton’s senior adviser and was later promoted to deputy assistant secretary of state under Clinton.

Reines is a founder and managing director of Beacon Global Strategies, a consulting firm that also employs former CIA deputy director Michael Morell, who was implicated in the Benghazi talking-points scandal.

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Blumemthal’s email to Clinton containing the Media Matters links was sent October 10, 2012. The correspondence was part of 179 pages of newly released Blumenthal emails made public Monday by the House Select Committee on Benghazi. WND conducted a thorough review of all of the new emails.

Blumenthal’s employment at Media Matters has raised questions about the organization’s official non-profit status.

IRS rules for 501C3 nonprofits such as Media Matters specifically state:

“All section 501(c)(3) organizations are absolutely prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in, or intervening in, any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for elective public office.”

Rules further restrict such nonprofits from taking political sides, but they may spend up to 20 percent of their operating budgets on so-called lobbying efforts if the organizations follows the rules of “non partisanship,” About.com adds.

Earlier this week, Media Matters founder David Brock wrote an op-ed published on his website that his organization specifically defends Hillary Clinton.

Wrote Brock: “By refusing to release the transcript, the Republicans want to hide the true nature of the Blumenthal deposition: Their partisan attempt to both chill Blumenthal’s right to freely express his own political views and more broadly to intimidate our organizations – organizations that have led the way in exposing the fraudulence of the Benghazi investigation itself. (Not to mention our role in specifically defending Hillary Clinton from the Republicans’ unfair attacks on the subject).”

Brock was also the co-author of an e-book entitled, “The Benghazi Hoax.” The work was largely a defense of Clinton’s actions regarding the Benghazi attacks.

Earlier this year, Brock, a known Clinton ally, abruptly resigned from the board of Priorities USA Action, a Super PAC that supported Clinton for the presidency.

Meanwhile, Blumenthal’s October 10, 2012, email to Clinton circulated five Media Matters articles on Benghazi.

The subjects include:

• “Right-Wing Media’s Libya Consulate Security Mythology Falls Apart”
• “Fox Favorite Jason Chaffetz And The Right-Wing Media’s Libya Hearings”
• “Myths And Facts About The Benghazi Attack And Protests In The Middle East”

Blumenthal offered Hillary Benghazi defense from Media Matters
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Thu, 25 Jun 2015 00:49:26 GMT