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MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.25.61.149 with HTTP; Thu, 29 Oct 2015 13:15:36 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: <EE8856C0-80B1-4109-8839-5C009375A9F3@icloud.com> References: <EE8856C0-80B1-4109-8839-5C009375A9F3@icloud.com> Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2015 16:15:36 -0400 Delivered-To: john.podesta@gmail.com Message-ID: <CAE6FiQ-O7mXoaxDcV5USzoq8mrC-2xoBpfWP+-0oQNTer1S-mg@mail.gmail.com> Subject: Re: Reason for my meeting request From: John Podesta <john.podesta@gmail.com> To: Robert Harrison <rsharrison2000@icloud.com> Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary=001a11411c465c1def052343f99d --001a11411c465c1def052343f99d Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Bob, I may have some time tomorrow. Are you around? John On Sunday, October 25, 2015, Robert Harrison <rsharrison2000@icloud.com> wrote: > John, > > Milia relayed your request for clarification of my reason for wanting to > get together with you for 1/2 hour (preferably in person) in the next two > to three weeks. I realize how busy you are and would not ask to take up > any time if it were not important. > > I will be meeting with the Executive Committee of the Foundation (WJC, > Chelsea, Bruce and Donna) on November 17th to discuss strategy for CGI. > The first part of the meeting will include the CGI Directors and the > Clintons' personal staff and will focus on 2016. The second part of the > meeting will be private. During the private session, I will initiate a > discussion of strategy for CGI in 2017 and beyond. Given the high level = of > (job) insecurity among CGI staff and the questions our members and sponso= rs > regularly ask us about the future of CGI, it is imperative that we > formulate an answer to the question whether CGI can and will exist beyond > 2016 if Secretary Clinton becomes the next President. And if the answer > is =E2=80=9Cyes=E2=80=9D, I need to understand what may or will need to c= hange from the way > we have operated over the past decade. > > There are two fundamental issues: > > 1) In its current form, CGI=E2=80=99s existence depends on President Clin= ton=E2=80=99s > active and visible participation as the convener. > 2) The economic viability of CGI depends on its ability to attract member= s > and sponsors to support the enterprise. > > The reason I would like to speak with you privately is to understand your > perspective on the constraints we may need to adopt under an HRC > administration. You are uniquely positioned as someone who knows CGI as > well as anyone and who was in the middle of the legal and ethical > discussions in 2008 that eventually led to changes in the way CGI (and th= e > Foundation) did business during Secretary Clinton=E2=80=99s term as Secre= tary of > State. Without a better feel for the likely constraints under a potentia= l > HRC presidency, I am not able to give useful strategic advice to the > principals. > > Here are a few of the issues we will need to address if HRC is President: > > 1) Can WJC invite members to, and host, CGI events? > 2) Can CGI hold the kind of events we have historically held? (Annual > Meeting, CGI America, CGI U, and CGI International (already eliminated fo= r > the campaign) > 3) What restrictions on types of sponsors will need to be taken into > account? (corporations, individuals, foundations, foreign? Is Rockefeller > Foundation okay, but Procter and Gamble not?) > 4) If corporate or individual or foreign sponsorship is precluded, is > there an acceptable membership alternative for those organizations, and a= t > what price point does that fee become unacceptable? > > John, I am not looking for you to provide me with answers, but I have no > ability to propose a business model that can work beyond 2016 without > having a better feel for how the lawyers and ethicists in a Hillary Clint= on > White House might look at these issues. > > Looking forward to seeing you soon, and can you please confirm that you > received this? I have had a few challenges with the upgrade of my MacBoo= k > Air software last week. > > Best, > > Bob > > > > > > --001a11411c465c1def052343f99d Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Bob,=C2=A0<div>I may have some time tomorrow. Are you around? John<br><br>O= n Sunday, October 25, 2015, Robert Harrison <<a href=3D"mailto:rsharriso= n2000@icloud.com">rsharrison2000@icloud.com</a>> wrote:<br><blockquote c= lass=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;= padding-left:1ex">John,<br> <br> Milia relayed your request for clarification of my reason for wanting to ge= t together with you for 1/2 hour (preferably in person) in the next two to = three weeks.=C2=A0 I realize how busy you are and would not ask to take up = any time if it were not important.<br> <br> I will be meeting with the Executive Committee of the Foundation (WJC, Chel= sea, Bruce and Donna) on November 17th to discuss strategy for CGI.=C2=A0 T= he first part of the meeting will include the CGI Directors and the Clinton= s' personal staff and will focus on 2016.=C2=A0 The second part of the = meeting will be private.=C2=A0 During the private session, I will initiate = a discussion of strategy for CGI in 2017 and beyond.=C2=A0 Given the high l= evel of (job) insecurity among CGI staff and the questions our members and = sponsors regularly ask us about the future of CGI, it is imperative that we= formulate an answer to the question whether CGI can and will exist beyond = 2016 if Secretary Clinton becomes the next President.=C2=A0 =C2=A0And if th= e answer is =E2=80=9Cyes=E2=80=9D, I need to understand what may or will ne= ed to change from the way we have operated over the past decade.<br> <br> There are two fundamental issues:<br> <br> 1) In its current form, CGI=E2=80=99s existence depends on President Clinto= n=E2=80=99s active and visible participation as the convener.<br> 2) The economic viability of CGI depends on its ability to attract members = and sponsors to support the enterprise.<br> <br> The reason I would like to speak with you privately is to understand your p= erspective on the constraints we may need to adopt under an HRC administrat= ion.=C2=A0 You are uniquely positioned as someone who knows CGI as well as = anyone and who was in the middle of the legal and ethical discussions in 20= 08 that eventually led to changes in the way CGI (and the Foundation) did b= usiness during Secretary Clinton=E2=80=99s term as Secretary of State.=C2= =A0 Without a better feel for the likely constraints under a potential HRC = presidency, I am not able to give useful strategic advice to the principals= .<br> <br> Here are a few of the issues we will need to address if HRC is President:<b= r> <br> 1)=C2=A0 Can WJC invite members to, and host, CGI events?<br> 2)=C2=A0 Can CGI hold the kind of events we have historically held?=C2=A0 (= Annual Meeting, CGI America, CGI U, and CGI International (already eliminat= ed for the campaign)<br> 3)=C2=A0 What restrictions on types of sponsors will need to be taken into = account? (corporations, individuals, foundations, foreign? Is Rockefeller F= oundation okay, but Procter and Gamble not?)<br> 4)=C2=A0 If corporate or individual or foreign sponsorship is precluded, is= there an acceptable membership alternative for those organizations, and at= what price point does that fee become unacceptable?<br> <br> John, I am not looking for you to provide me with answers, but I have no ab= ility to propose a business model that can work beyond 2016 without having = a better feel for how the lawyers and ethicists in a Hillary Clinton White = House might look at these issues.<br> <br> Looking forward to seeing you soon, and can you please confirm that you rec= eived this?=C2=A0 I have had a few challenges with the upgrade of my MacBoo= k Air software last week.<br> <br> Best,<br> <br> Bob<br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> </blockquote></div> --001a11411c465c1def052343f99d--