Ex-campaign manager: Clinton ‘overruled’ firing staffer accused of harassment

Hillary Clinton personally "overruled" a recommendation that she fire a top campaign staffer accused of sexual harassment in 2008, her campaign manager at the time said Monday.

Patti Solis Doyle, who headed Clinton's presidential bid when a young female staffer accused senior adviser Burns Strider of repeatedly sexually harassing her, told CNN she urged Clinton to dismiss Strider, but the Democratic candidate rejected the recommendation.


"I was overruled," Solis Doyle said in her first public remarks since news of the harassment controversy was reported by The New York Times on Friday.

Strider, according to the Times, was kept on the campaign at Clinton's behest despite the allegations of misconduct. The Clinton faith adviser was docked several weeks' pay and told to undergo counseling in response, the Times reports. Strider went on to lead an independent organization that backed Clinton's candidacy in 2016.

Clinton addressed the controversy Friday on Twitter, writing that she contacted the former female aide to "tell her how proud I am of her and to make sure she knows what all women should: we deserve to be heard."

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

“I was dismayed when it occurred, but was heartened the young woman came forward, was heard, and had her concerns taken seriously and addressed,” Clinton said.

Solis Doyle on Monday expressed disappointment that Clinton now shows more remorse over the decision to keep Strider on.

“I was disappointed by that tweet, that response," Solis Doyle said. "It was the wrong call. I wish she had said it was the wrong call.”

Solis Doyle stressed that she had a "zero tolerance" policy for workplace sexual harassment, but added that deciding whether to dismiss Strider during the middle of a presidential campaign posed complications.

"It wasn't an easy call. None of these calls are easy," Solis Doyle said. "And especially in a presidential campaign, we were just a few months away from voting beginning to start with the caucuses and the primaries, [and] firing a high-profile person on the campaign would have certainly made news and caused a distraction, so it wasn't an easy call."