Re: Brad - is the building aware of this?

From:MElias@perkinscoie.com To: MirandaL@dnc.org, DaceyA@dnc.org, MARSHALL@dnc.org, ReynoldsL@dnc.org CC: GWilson@perkinscoie.com Date: 2016-05-03 19:06 Subject: Re: Brad - is the building aware of this?

My suggestion is that the DNC put out a statement saying that the accusations the Sanders campaign are not true. The fact that CNN notes that you aren’t getting between the two campaigns is the problem. Here, Sanders is attacking the DNC and its current practice, its past practice with the POTUS and with Sec Kerry. Just as the RNC pushes back directly on Trump over “rigged system”, the DNC should push back DIRECTLY at Sanders and say that what he is saying is false and harmful the the Democratic party. -- Marc E. Elias Perkins Coie LLP 700 13th St, NW Washington, DC 20005 202-434-1609 melias@perkinscoie.com<mailto:melias@perkinscoie.com> @marceelias<https://twitter.com/marceelias> Here’s a rundown our team pulled: CNN The Lead<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__toolbox.dnc.org-3Ftool-5Fname-3Dvantage-2520uploader-26path-3Dvantageuploader.dnc.org_videos_shared-5Fshow-3Fjwt-3DeyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NjIzMDY5NDYsImVtYWlsIjoiamFrdWJpZWNtQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6MzE0ODk5LCJkb3dubG9hZGFibGUiOnRydWV9.87f2D1CTW3gkPB8toBEdGoIrqTm4T8LD14xYLTxeFTA&d=CwMGaQ&c=XRWvQHnpdBDRh-yzrHjqLpXuHNC_9nanQc6pPG_SpT0&r=mJZthOcamSml7FV7KXYLE6P2EQrjV525p9lKVucDNWI&m=snYBqWqB2HaoD3jeJyejpESJCnN4o5MRI8_OfmzoE18&s=V6_2sjgioxJpsZfJSRRM_kBC8L2KXZBxjefKjfXSkkI&e=> Jake Tapper: Jeff, is there anything to the Sanders charge of money laundering by the Clinton campaign? Jeff Zeleny: Well Jake, the term money laundering is definitely strong. There is nothing to that exact phrase. The Clinton campaign believes that the Sanders campaign is trying to fire up their own donors here. One official called it shameful. But there are some concerns from state party officials where their money is. This comes from a joint fundraising account, the Hillary Victory Fund, it's a joint account that she raises money for her campaign, the national party, the state party. Some of the state parties have not seen as much money as they thought they would. Bernie Sanders could be raising money like this as well. He's decided not to do this. This is just the beginning of this here. Some state parties want their money so they can use it for their own local races. CNN Situation Room<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__toolbox.dnc.org_-3Ftool-5Fname-3Dvantage-2520uploader-26path-3Dvantageuploader.dnc.org_videos_shared-5Fshow-3Fjwt-3DeyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpYXQiOjE0NjIzMDY5MDYsImVtYWlsIjoiamFrdWJpZWNtQGRuYy5vcmciLCJpZCI6MzE0ODk4LCJkb3dubG9hZGFibGUiOnRydWV9.Xpb7iBNGJ2y2cutWnIumbIFSWlodH7jS9w4aH8XUGcQ&d=CwMGaQ&c=XRWvQHnpdBDRh-yzrHjqLpXuHNC_9nanQc6pPG_SpT0&r=mJZthOcamSml7FV7KXYLE6P2EQrjV525p9lKVucDNWI&m=snYBqWqB2HaoD3jeJyejpESJCnN4o5MRI8_OfmzoE18&s=OrCHKik70NMe-KGbo5bqW0phHoVRTUiSt_xn12uCZts&e=> Jeff Zeleny: The rhetoric is not softening much in the campaign at all. Today alone, the Sanders campaign suggested the Clinton campaign was running a money laundering scheme because of the joint fundraising committee they have. The Clinton campaign pushed back, saying they're trying to raise money off this in closing days of the race. Wolf, you see the crowd in downtown Indianapolis, several thousand have gathered, waiting for Senator Sanders. Clear they're not ready for this contest to be over yet. How the outcome is tomorrow will signal how long the race goes, and how much secretary Clinton has to fight Bernie Sanders. Print clip mentions: Clinton and Sanders spar over joint fundraising efforts<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.cnn.com_2016_05_02_politics_hillary-2Dclinton-2Dbernie-2Dsanders-2Dfundraising_&d=CwMGaQ&c=XRWvQHnpdBDRh-yzrHjqLpXuHNC_9nanQc6pPG_SpT0&r=mJZthOcamSml7FV7KXYLE6P2EQrjV525p9lKVucDNWI&m=snYBqWqB2HaoD3jeJyejpESJCnN4o5MRI8_OfmzoE18&s=WMogG2lLKaC6ZdKyMxWiU3YJiTfwuumr6_fEL4-cx0w&e=> CNN // DAN MERICA Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders campaign spent part of Monday fighting over how much money the front-runner's operation has actually raised for state parties, with Sanders' campaign charging Clinton with "laundering" donations. Both Democratic campaigns have signed joint fundraising efforts with the Democratic National Committee, allowing the presidential campaigns to raise money for the Democratic committee and a host of state Democratic parties. Because of federal election rules, campaigns are allowed to raise upwards of $350,000 from individuals for joint fundraising efforts. But Clinton has been the only candidate to use it, raising, according to her campaign, $46 million for the DNC and state parties through the Hillary Victory Fund, the Clinton campaign's joint fundraising effort. … The Democratic National Committee has so far declined to get in between the two campaigns. Instead aides have taken to noting that both Sanders and Clinton were offered and signed the same agreement. Under fire from Sanders supporters, Clinton surrogates have cited the joint fundraising effort and the need to help down ballot Democrats as a reason Clinton headlines top-dollar fundraisers. By hitting Clinton for not providing much money to state parties, Sanders' campaign is looking to cut into her ability to explain her appeal. Clinton's campaign, for the first time in 2016, out-raised rival Sander's campaign last month, according to their self-reported fundraising numbers. Sanders raised $25.8 million in April -- short of his campaign's hauls of $44 million in March and $43.5 million in February, his campaign said Sunday. Sanders camp says Clinton ‘looting’ fundraising money meant for states<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.foxnews.com_politics_2016_05_03_sanders-2Dcamp-2Dsays-2Dclinton-2Dlooting-2Dfundraising-2Dmoney-2Dmeant-2Dfor-2Dstates.html&d=CwMGaQ&c=XRWvQHnpdBDRh-yzrHjqLpXuHNC_9nanQc6pPG_SpT0&r=mJZthOcamSml7FV7KXYLE6P2EQrjV525p9lKVucDNWI&m=snYBqWqB2HaoD3jeJyejpESJCnN4o5MRI8_OfmzoE18&s=Cnk52D7SKPsqKGLVjfesXRKatRglYEq-W6J0nCa68ck&e=> FOX NEWS // The Bernie Sanders campaign is accusing Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton of “looting” money from a joint account meant in part for state parties, the latest brawl between the camps over precious fundraising dollars in the closing weeks of their primary race. The dispute is over the Hillary Victory Fund, established by Clinton last summer and comprising her presidential campaign, the Democratic National Committee and 32 state party committees. The joint effort so far has raised $61 million, but only 1 percent ultimately stayed in state party accounts, according to an analysis by Politico of federal election records. The analysis, which was challenged by the Clinton campaign, said the fund had transferred $3.8 million to the state parties, then quickly transferred $3.3 million of the money to the DNC. … Schwerin also said the operations are being run jointly by the DNC and state parties “to elect progressives across the country in November." To be sure, raising money may become more challenging as the campaigns drag on -- and when the prevailing candidate shifts to a general election battle. The Sanders campaign, for example, reportedly raised $25.8 million in April, down from $44 million in March and $43.5 million in February. Clinton reportedly raised $26.4 million last month. The Sanders campaign signed a similar joint-fundraising agreement with the DNC that appears largely inactive. However, he has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through his donor list for several progressive House candidates, according to Politico. This is not the first time the Sanders campaign has accused the Clinton camp of fundraising shenanigans. Last month, the campaign sent an open letter to the DNC accusing the Clinton campaign of "apparent violations" in fundraising. Clinton fundraising leaves little for state parties<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.politico.com_story_2016_04_clinton-2Dfundraising-2Dleaves-2Dlittle-2Dfor-2Dstate-2Dparties-2D222670&d=CwMGaQ&c=XRWvQHnpdBDRh-yzrHjqLpXuHNC_9nanQc6pPG_SpT0&r=mJZthOcamSml7FV7KXYLE6P2EQrjV525p9lKVucDNWI&m=snYBqWqB2HaoD3jeJyejpESJCnN4o5MRI8_OfmzoE18&s=Z4WFLaSxj-oIjWGm8zAwEjUwQ1pZXbobF3IKLNmtsnQ&e=> POLITICO // KENNETH P. VOGEL AND ISAAC ARNSDORF The victory fund has transferred $3.8 million to the state parties, but almost all of that cash ($3.3 million, or 88 percent) was quickly transferred to the DNC, usually within a day or two, by the Clinton staffer who controls the committee, POLITICO’s analysis of the FEC records found. By contrast, the victory fund has transferred $15.4 million to Clinton’s campaign and $5.7 million to the DNC, which will work closely with Clinton’s campaign if and when she becomes the party’s nominee. And most of the $23.3 million spent directly by the victory fund has gone toward expenses that appear to have directly benefited Clinton’s campaign, including $2.8 million for “salary and overhead” and $8.6 million for web advertising that mostly looks indistinguishable from Clinton campaign ads and that has helped Clinton build a network of small donors who will be critical in a general election expected to cost each side well in excess of $1 billion. … “It’s a one-sided benefit,” said an official with one participating state party. The official, like those with several other state parties, declined to talk about the arrangement on the record for fear of drawing the ire of the DNC and the Clinton campaign. In fact, the DNC, which has pushed back aggressively on charges that it is boosting Clinton at the expense of other Democrats, has advised state party officials on how to answer media inquiries about the arrangement, multiple sources familiar with the interactions told POLITICO. “The DNC has given us some guidance on what they’re saying, but it’s not clear what we should be saying,” said the official. “I don’t think anyone wants to get crosswise with the national party because we do need their resources. But everyone who entered into these agreements was doing it because they were asked to, not because there are immediately clear benefits.” Some fundraisers who work for state parties predict that the arrangement could actually hurt participating state parties. They worry that participating states that aren’t presidential battlegrounds and lack competitive Senate races could see very little return investment from the DNC or Clinton’s campaign, and are essentially acting as money laundering conduits for them. And for party committees in contested states, there’s another risk: They might find themselves unable to accept cash from rich donors whose checks to the victory fund counted toward their $10,000 donation limit to the state party in question — even if that party never got to spend the cash because it was transferred to the DNC. … But Schwerin did not respond to follow-up questions about how much of the $700,000 in victory fund transfers to the state parties was subsequently transferred to the DNC. DNC spokesman Mark Paustenbach pointed out that the national party committee “offered to engage in the same joint fundraising efforts with all the major presidential candidates early in the cycle, and we welcome the efforts of the candidates to help raise money for the DNC and state parties now to ensure we can build out the infrastructure to win in November.” Sanders' campaign late last year signed a joint fundraising agreement with the DNC, but the committee has been largely inactive. Instead, after Sanders was chided by Clinton allies for not helping down-ballot Democrats, he sent out appeals to his vaunted email list that helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for a trio of progressive House candidates, who got to keep all the cash. How Do You Build a Political Movement?<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.theatlantic.com_politics_archive_2016_05_sanders-2Dclinton-2Ddnc-2Dfundraising_480951_&d=CwMGaQ&c=XRWvQHnpdBDRh-yzrHjqLpXuHNC_9nanQc6pPG_SpT0&r=mJZthOcamSml7FV7KXYLE6P2EQrjV525p9lKVucDNWI&m=snYBqWqB2HaoD3jeJyejpESJCnN4o5MRI8_OfmzoE18&s=j0qNfLdsUWEM1f_CfRm7aMXfMbXZL4QpqoLoEGLYvL4&e=> THE ATLANTIC // CLARE FORAN Just when it looked like Bernie Sanders might be poised to tone down his criticism of Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate signaled he won’t shy away from a fight. The Sanders campaign escalated its condemnation of the Clinton campaign’s fundraising methods on Monday, seizing on a Politico report to accuse Clinton of “looting funds meant for the state parties to skirt fundraising limits on her presidential campaign.” The charge highlights a broader divide between the rival candidates. Clinton has worked to strengthen the institutional machinery of the Democratic Party. Her efforts have funneled money into national and state party committees in ways that are likely to build up permanent party infrastructure. Sanders, on the other hand, has run a campaign that privileges purity tests above party loyalty, and individuals above institutions. He has elevated the profile of a select pool of progressive Democratic candidates fighting for election to Congress, and cultivated a grassroots network of intensely-devoted small-dollar donors. The trigger for the Sanders campaign’s most recent criticism was a deep dive from Politico into the inner-workings of the Hillary Victory Fund, a fundraising venture for the Clinton campaign, the Democratic National Committee, and 32 state Democratic parties. It found that state parties have retained less than 1 percent of $61 million raised by the arrangement. The article also cited allegations from state fundraisers that some of the state parties are effectively “acting as money laundering conduits” for the DNC and the Clinton campaign. … The DNC refuted the possibility of any wrongdoing. “The suggestion there’s anything unusual about our joint victory funds has no basis in the law or reality, as recognized by numerous independent experts that have looked at this,” Luis Miranda, a DNC spokesperson said in a statement. The Clinton campaign, meanwhile, emphasized its work in support of Democrats nationwide. “Helping Democrats win up and down the ballot is a top priority for Hillary Clinton,” Josh Schwerin, a campaign spokesperson, said in a statement, “which is why she’s raised more than $46 million for the DNC and state parties across the country.” He added that “funds raised through the Hillary Victory Fund are now being used to fund and staff organizing programs in Ohio, Virginia, Florida and states across the country.” Setting spin aside, there are advantages and risks to both strategies. Clinton hopes to strengthen the Democratic Party, and her fundraising strategy stands to bolster party infrastructure. The DNC acts as a gatekeeper for a host of resources that state parties can tap into, ranging from its voter database to research and press operations. There’s a strategic case to be made for the DNC determining how to allocate dollars nationwide given that not every state will be a general election battleground, among other considerations. For Clinton, the approach appears to reflect faith in the ability of the current political system to achieve results, as long as resources are available. But the fundraising has opened up the campaign to charges that it exploited campaign-finance law. To critics, the effort is sure to register as yet another indication of the candidate’s coziness with the political establishment. Bernie Sanders is escalating his attacks on Hillary Clinton — and Trump is taking notes<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.businessinsider.com_bernie-2Dsanders-2Dhillary-2Dclinton-2Dindiana-2Dpolls-2Dattacks-2D2016-2D5&d=CwMGaQ&c=XRWvQHnpdBDRh-yzrHjqLpXuHNC_9nanQc6pPG_SpT0&r=mJZthOcamSml7FV7KXYLE6P2EQrjV525p9lKVucDNWI&m=snYBqWqB2HaoD3jeJyejpESJCnN4o5MRI8_OfmzoE18&s=nzKdWsr8COiSye5khyXaCzS9IL-3awd_gWx5rFi1idQ&e=> BUSINESS INSIDER // MAXWELL TANI Sen. Bernie Sanders is planning on taking his presidential bid all the way to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia this summer. And it looks like his rhetorical shots at Democratic presidential rival Hillary Clinton will go with him. Leading up to Indiana's primary on Tuesday, Sanders has proved more than willing to continue drawing contrasts with Clinton on major issues. During a Monday campaign rally in Indiana, Sanders reiterated his usual attacks on Clinton's campaign-finance structure, pausing for boos and cracking jokes about Clinton's private speeches to Goldman Sachs. "We said, 'Hell no' to super PACs. We don't represent Wall Street or the billionaire class," Sanders said. … On Monday, the Sanders campaign and the Republican National Committee blasted out to reporters a Politico story within four minutes of each other. The story said that the Clinton campaign has benefited massively from the money it has raised for Democratic state parties, which have received comparatively little in return. "Secretary Clinton has exploited the rules in ways that let her high-dollar donors like Alice Walton of Walmart fame and the actor George Clooney and his super-rich Hollywood friends skirt legal limits on campaign contributions," Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said. He added an apparent reference to a line from the Politico story that quoted state-party fundraisers as worrying that they were "essentially acting as money laundering conduits" for Clinton and the Democratic National Committee. "If Secretary Clinton can't raise the funds needed to run in a competitive primary without resorting to laundering, how will she compete against Donald Trump in a general election?" he said. Whoa: Bernie Accuses Hillary of ‘Laundering’ and ‘Looting’<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__bluenationreview.com_bernie-2Daccuses-2Dhillary-2Dof-2Dlaundering-2Dand-2Dlooting_&d=CwMGaQ&c=XRWvQHnpdBDRh-yzrHjqLpXuHNC_9nanQc6pPG_SpT0&r=mJZthOcamSml7FV7KXYLE6P2EQrjV525p9lKVucDNWI&m=snYBqWqB2HaoD3jeJyejpESJCnN4o5MRI8_OfmzoE18&s=v-FDDW-N7bF82o6Hfh-wfDskqZ1XeNPV8cJ3dxyVyzE&e=> BLUE NATION REVIEW // MELISSA MCEWAN Accusing Hillary of “money laundering” and “looting,” despite the fact that the Hillary Victory Fund has already given approximately $4.5 million to state parties and will distribute an additional $9 million “as state parties ramp up for general,” is truly a new low for the Sanders campaign.To be clear, there is always some tension, during every presidential election, in both parties, about how a finite amount of resources will be allocated. There are a lot of candidates up and down the ballot who are in need of funding, and a limited number of donors from whom to secure it. There are inevitably people who feel like they’re not getting a big enough piece of the pie, or who should have primary access to major local donors. And in the same Politico story, there’s this: “Sources working with the Hillary Victory Fund said the committee is sensitive to these concerns, and that state parties were asked to submit names of donors they wanted to save for themselves.” That’s more than many other campaigns do, as they navigate the complex context that is national elections with numerous candidates who need resources. Sanders attacks Clinton- money-laundering accusations<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__wwlp.com_2016_05_02_sanders-2Dattacks-2Dclinton-2Dmoney-2Dlaundering-2Daccusations_&d=CwMGaQ&c=XRWvQHnpdBDRh-yzrHjqLpXuHNC_9nanQc6pPG_SpT0&r=mJZthOcamSml7FV7KXYLE6P2EQrjV525p9lKVucDNWI&m=snYBqWqB2HaoD3jeJyejpESJCnN4o5MRI8_OfmzoE18&s=owAz7HrVycCC1atAxHWwC6w2EMsDZwesFEuuY20x2DQ&e=> WWLP // JEFF ZELENY Hillary Clinton is looking to seal the deal and clinch the democratic presidential nomination soon. But Senator Bernie Sanders is refusing to go down without a fight. Bernie sanders: “Let us tomorrow have the biggest turnout in Indiana history!” Bernie sanders is firing up voters today across Indiana. He’s asking democrats to put the brakes on Hillary Clinton’s march to the nomination. But she’s already moving on. Hillary Clinton: “we cannot let Barack Obama’s legacy fall into Donald Trump’s hands.” On the eve of the Indiana primary, Clinton is looking ahead, to a fall match-up with trump and to primary contests down the line. … That fight is getting harder – and his battle to win the nomination more uphill. Clinton is about 200 delegates shy of the magic number of 2,383. Sanders needs nearly 5 times that many pledged and super delegates. The Sanders campaign is digging in today accusing Clinton of running a money-laundering scheme. Citing a politico report that only one percent of the 61 million dollars raised through the Hillary victory fund to help other democrats is actually going to state parties. The Clinton campaign dismissing the attack as desperation. Trump is following sanders’ words carefully – and plans to use them against Clinton. Donald Trump: “Bernie sanders said she shouldn’t be allowed to run, that she’s not capable. And, you know, what he said is incredible. It’s a sound bite.” We asked sanders whether that bothered him. ________________________________ NOTICE: This communication may contain privileged or other confidential information. If you have received it in error, please advise the sender by reply email and immediately delete the message and any attachments without copying or disclosing the contents. Thank you.