AP Photo Hacked emails show Clinton camp avoided full embrace of SAFE Act

ALBANY — Advisers to Hillary Clinton carefully calibrated laudatory remarks she made about Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s gun control law, the SAFE Act, because it included “some controversial items,” according to hacked emails published online by WikiLeaks.

Ahead of a November 2015 gala sponsored by the Brady Campaign, Clinton aide Huma Abedin suggested that the Democratic nominee “beef up” what she said about Cuomo to show “slightly more love for what he’s doing as governor,” because she failed to hold a “message event” after Cuomo endorsed Clinton.


Speechwriters agreed, but Tony Carrk, the campaign’s research director, cautioned that there should not be a full embrace of the SAFE Act, which he later said was “not a safe bet.” Corey Ciorciari, from the campaign’s policy department, agreed.

“Don't see a need to fully embrace the SAFE Act. There are some controversial items in there,” Ciorciari wrote. “We can highlight pieces that fit within our agenda.”

The 2013 SAFE Act broadened the definition of banned assault weapons, prohibited magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds, required background checks on private gun sales and mandated mental health providers report when patients indicate they might hurt themselves or others.

Aides then drafted language that focused only on background checks.

“Congress may have let us down,” Clinton said at the gala. “But Andrew Cuomo did not.”

The exchanges were included in a trove of emails hacked from the account of top Clinton adviser John Podesta. The Clinton campaign has not disputed the authenticity of the emails. Podesta has said he was hacked by Russian intelligence agencies to benefit Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

Spokespeople for Clinton and Cuomo did not immediately comment.