Blumenthal Enjoyed Lucrative Financial Arrangements with Clintons

Sidney Blumenthal, the long-time Clinton family adviser and loyalist, is under renewed scrutiny for his dual role as informal counselor to Hillary Clinton and paid consultant to entities with business before the State Department.

Blumenthal, the long-time Clinton family adviser and loyalist, is under scrutiny recently regarding e-mailed intelligence he provided to Hillary Clinton during her tenure as Secretary of State. At the time Blumenthal was drawing income from multiple sources, including the Clinton Foundation and several private-sector ventures tied to contractors seeking opportunities in post-Qaddafi Libya.

Emails released by the State Department this week show Blumenthal frequently supplied Clinton with memoranda analyzing political conditions in Libya, material he labeled “confidential.” The correspondence reveals that while Clinton acknowledged receiving the memos, department officials said Blumenthal held no formal government role and lacked a security clearance.

According to a New York Times report, Blumenthal earned roughly $10,000 a month from the Clinton Foundation and simultaneously consulted for a firm pursuing Libyan reconstruction contracts.  The overlap has prompted criticism from ethics experts who say his private interests and proximity to U.S. foreign policy created the appearance of conflict.

The House Select Committee on Benghazi, chaired by Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.), has subpoenaed Blumenthal to testify about the origin of his intelligence and any coordination with Clinton’s aides.  A spokesperson for the committee said the emails “raise serious questions about the integrity of the information pipeline reaching the Secretary of State.”

Blumenthal’s attorney emphasized that his client acted as “a private citizen offering advice to a friend,” insisting no classified information was shared.  Still, critics note that Clinton’s willingness to receive the memos underscores the informal and opaque nature of her communication network while at State.

For a family celebrated for message discipline, it seems even the side correspondence comes with a consultancy fee.

Citations

New York Times – “Sidney Blumenthal’s E-Mails to Hillary Clinton Released” (May 19 2015)

Politico – “Blumenthal’s Business Ties Come Under Scrutiny” (May 28 2015)

CNN – “Clinton Ally Sidney Blumenthal to Testify on Benghazi Emails” (May 28 2015)

Reuters – “Clinton Confidant Blumenthal to Testify before House Panel” (May 28 2015)