In email, State asked to ‘take care of’ Clinton Foundation associate

Shortly after Hillary Clinton took the reins as U.S. secretary of State in 2009, a longtime confidant with deep ties to the Clinton Foundation pressed her senior aides to give a job to an unidentified male associate.

“Important to take care of” the person, Douglas Band told Clinton aides Huma Abedin, Cheryl Mills and Nora Toiv in an April 22, 2009, email with the subject line “A favor…”. The name of the man being discussed is redacted.

“We have all had him on our radar,” Abedin responded. “Personnel has been sending him options.”

The exchange, which was obtained by conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch under a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit and released on Tuesday, adds to the murky connections between Clinton’s role leading the State Department, her family foundation and a consulting firm for which Abedin worked part-time.

Band previously served as an aide to former President Bill Clinton and has performed multiple duties for the Clinton Foundation. He is also a founding partner and president of Teneo Holdings, the consulting firm.

The firm, and Abedin’s ability to work simultaneously for it and the State Department, have drawn ire from some conservative corners, where critics have railed about conflicts of interest and warned that officials outside of the government had undue influence on U.S. diplomacy.

Among the other emails released by Judicial Watch on Tuesday are messages from Band asking to put a Lebanese-Nigerian businessman in touch with department officials.

“No wonder Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin hid emails from the American people, the courts and Congress,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said in a statement, accusing the two of violating ethics rules.

“They show the Clinton Foundation, Clinton donors, and operatives worked with Hillary Clinton in potential violation of the law.”