PrintOctober 7, 2007
Blackwater Connection to Clinton Campaign Causing Hillary Trouble
One of Hillary Clinton's most trusted advisors is CEO of a firm that handled public relations for the controversial security firm Blackwater.
Burson-Marsteller, run by Clinton pollster Mark Penn, has been representing the troubled security firm in the lead-up to congressional testimony this week in which top company officials defended their policies and techniques for providing security in the war zone.Not only did Penn's company work for Blackwater, it was revealed this week that Blackwater's first contract with the Federal government did not occur during the Bush Administration but rather in 1998 when Bill Clinton was president.
Penn is one of Clinton's longest-serving and most important advisers, perhaps second only to her husband in influence. He said yesterday that his company was no longer representing Blackwater. Listed as the "worldwide CEO" of the company, Penn also said he was not personally involved in the account.
This gives the lie to Democratic charges that Blackwater is a creation of the Bush Administration.
Obviously, the Blackwater connections is problematic for Hillary's campaign as she held back on criticizing the company while her Democratic rivals tried to outdo themselves in charges of negligence having to do with several shooting incidents in Iraq on the part of the security firm.
