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Labor Dept Employees Ridiculed Hillary Clinton’s Use of Private Email

Dem candidate to accept endorsement from Labor Sec

Hillary Rodham Clinton
AP
December 4, 2015

Employees at the Department of Labor ridiculed the State Department for allowing Hillary Clinton to use private email to conduct business and suggested her decision to do so was inappropriate, new documents show.

According to email correspondences obtained by America Rising through a Freedom of Information Act request, two employees at the Labor Department engaged in a conversation about the March revelations regarding Clinton’s email use and suggested that the State Department and Clinton did not handle the situation properly.

On Friday, Clinton is due to accept an endorsement from Labor Secretary Tom Perez, who plans to campaign for the Democratic presidential candidate.

Rachel Vera, the agency’s records officer, sent an email to colleagues on March 3 alerting them to the Washington Post story regarding Clinton’s email use and urging them to ensure that President Obama’s political appointees and personnel "are aware of the requirements when using personal email accounts." She attached a link to the 2014 Federal Records Act.

In an ensuing email chain, Tanisha Bynum-Frazier, the director of the Office of Asset and Resource Management, said that the controversy should show the group "how NOT to handle things and how you can end up in nationwide news."

"So glad I’m not working there ... lol ... but I’m sure our PA are no better," Vera responded, appearing to refer to the State Department’s Bureau of Public Affairs (PA).

"What in the heck was State thinking???" Bynum-Frazier wrote in response. "I don’t blame [Clinton] for not turning things over--but their Departmental Records Officer has a lot to answer for."

Vera repeatedly communicated her humor at the controversy by using the acronym for "laugh out loud" and also exclaimed to Bynum-Frazier, "Darn, and I liked ole Hillary!"

The email exchange was obtained in response to a FOIA request for all communications sent or received by Vera about the controversy surrounding Clinton’s exclusive use of private email while serving as secretary of state in the Obama administration.

Perez, who was promoted by Obama to labor secretary in 2013, voiced his support for Clinton in a statement Thursday publicized by her campaign.

"Progressives believe in making progress, which is why I’m proud to endorse Hillary Clinton who I know will continue fighting to ensure our children and grandchildren can achieve their highest and best dreams," Perez said. "Secretary Clinton is tough, smart, and understands better than any candidate the challenges that parents are talking about around dinner tables and keeping families up at night."

He will formally endorse her at a campaign event in Iowa Friday.