Emails reveal Clinton’s ‘go-to’ advisers on energy, science

Source: Hannah Northey, E&E reporter • Posted: Thursday, October 13, 2016

Leaked emails from Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign show scientists, a former U.S. EPA chief and governors were invited to serve as her primary advisers on energy, climate, environment and infrastructure.

In an Oct. 27, 2015, email, Milia Fisher, an aide to campaign chairman John Podesta, asks her boss to approve an invitation for eight people to serve as “senior partners” on the campaign’s policy working group.

The email was among thousands of hacked messages released by WikiLeaks that discuss negotiations about the Keystone XL pipeline, Clinton’s book, and her otherwise private, paid speeches that her staff had flagged as potentially problematic. Podesta yesterday blamed Russian intelligence for the illegal breach.

Asked to work on climate and energy issues, the emails show, was former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D), now a senior partner on energy policy in the Clinton campaign, and former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter (D).

Also invited was former EPA Administrator and White House climate czar Carol Browner. “Carol Browner [she’s already agreed to be a Senior Partner so John should just send her a quick thank you note],” Fisher wrote.

On “infrastructure and investment” matters, emails show the campaign invited former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D); and Jane Garvey, a former Federal Aviation Administration chief who is now North American chairwoman of Meridiam Infrastructure, a Paris-based investor in public-private partnerships.

For advice on science, the campaign turned to University of Michigan ecologist Rosina Bierbaum, who is, among other things, the review editor for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and Eric Lander, president and founding director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. Lander is a geneticist, molecular biologist and mathematician.

“Senior partners will work with a coordinator (a mid career professional who has a high level of expertise in the policy area) to lead a large group of outside advisors in developing specific policy proposals for the campaign,” according to the email. “These senior partners will also work with the coordinator to plan for and participate in the monthly working group call. In sum, senior partners will serve as a go-to person for the HFA policy team.”