New Emails PROVE Clinton Donor Raj Fernando DID ask to be Put on Security Board

Chuck Ross – The DailyCaller Reports

A wealthy donor to Hillary Clinton’s campaigns and to the Clinton Foundation directly asked Clinton’s State Department staff to be considered for an appointment to a board overseeing arms control issues within the agency, newly released emails show.

“If there is any way I can be a part of the list of the final 25 I would be grateful. Please let me know if there is anything you need me to do,” reads a Sept. 11, 2009 email from the donor, Rajiv Fernando, to Clinton’s deputy chief of staff Huma Abedin.

Fernando, who has donated between $1 million and $5 million to the Clinton Foundation and tens of thousands to Clinton’s various campaigns, was eventually appointed to the International Security Advisory Board (ISAB) in 2011. The board provides independent advice to the State Department regarding arms control and international security.

Fernando’s lack of experience in those fields has raised questions about whether Clinton made the appointment in order to reward a high-dollar donor. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has been dogged by accusations that she has used her positions of power to reward political donors and corporate benefactors.

Fernando’s tenure on the ISAB came to a swift end after he attended a July 2011 meeting. ABC News began inquiring about an appointment given to a big-time Democratic donor who had no experience in international security issues. Fernando tendered his resignation, claiming that he had to devote time to business in Europe.

In his September 2009 email with Abedin, Fernando relayed details of a conversation he had with Ellen Tauscher, a former congresswoman who then served undersecretary of state for Arms Control and International Security Affairs.

Tauscher said that 25 people were being considered for open spots on the ISAB, whose members included former lawmakers, generals and defense experts.

Fernando’s appointment to the board was met with skepticism throughout the State Department. And at least one member of Clinton’s inner circle — her communications strategist, Philippe Reines — mocked the choice.

Fernando’s lack of any known background in nuclear security caught the attention of several board members, and when ABC News first contacted the State Department in August 2011 seeking a copy of his resume, the emails show that confusion ensued among the career government officials who work with the advisory panel.

“I have spoken to [State Department official and ISAB Executive Director Richard Hartman] privately, and it appears there is much more to this story that we’re unaware of,” wrote Jamie Mannina, the press aide who fielded the ABC News request. “We must protect the Secretary’s and Under Secretary’s name, as well as the integrity of the Board. I think it’s important to get down to the bottom of this before there’s any response.

“As you can see from the attached, it’s natural to ask how he got onto the board when compared to the rest of the esteemed list of members,” Mannina wrote, referring to an attachment that was not included in the recent document release.

Fernando himself would not answer questions from ABC News in 2011 about what qualified him for a seat on the board or led to his appointment. When ABC News finally caught up with Fernando at the 2012 Democratic convention, he became upset and said he was “not at liberty” to speak about it. Security threatened to have the ABC News reporter arrested.

Support the Trump Movement and help us fight Liberal Media Bias. Please LIKE and SHARE this story on Facebook or Twitter.