Why Clinton is sticking with Huma Abedin
In recent years probably no aide has worked harder for Hillary Clinton than Huma Abedin. Officially vice chairman of Clinton鈥檚 2016 political organization, unofficially Ms. Abedin is the woman to see 鈥� the insider with influence who provides or denies access, dispenses advice, and disseminates Clinton鈥檚 wishes throughout the campaign.
Now she is at the center of the latest upheaval in this extraordinarily dramatic presidential race, testing Clinton's long-time loyalty to Abedin. A laptop she shared with estranged husband Anthony Weiner was the source of the thousands of emails the Federal Bureau of Investigation is now scrambling to assess for possible classified information.
Normally loyalty in politics travels only in one direction 鈥� up. The relationship between Clinton and Abedin has long been unusual in that loyalty has appeared to go both ways. The aide has fiercely defended her boss. The boss in turn has treated the aide almost like a second daughter.
But this may be an uproar too far. If Clinton manages to hang on and win the election, it鈥檚 possible that Abedin won鈥檛 get a White House office 鈥� despite being previously seen as a sure bet for such a post.
鈥淚 think it will be difficult for her to serve in the White House except in an informal capacity ... without direct line responsibility,鈥� says Ross Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University, noting that politics is very "unsentimental."
Aides are generally seen as dispensable, and at the slightest hint of an image problem, are dispensed. So why has Clinton stuck with Abedin through past controversies, such as her connection with a global consulting firm while still on the State Department payroll?
In part, it's because Clinton can be surprisingly stubborn on staff and organizational questions. The email controversy itself is a case in point. Staff emails leaked by WikiLeaks show consternation among aides that Clinton would not realize that a private server arrangement would look bad.
Clinton is also loyal to those who have marched alongside her in her long and event-filled political career. And she鈥檚 particularly loyal to Abedin, whom Clinton has seen progress from a young assistant to a top-level player before her eyes.
A Clinton World insider
Abedin has risen through the ranks of Clinton World since beginning as a student intern in Hillary Clinton鈥檚 office in 1996. She鈥檚 now a top advisor Clinton trusts. A run through the emails of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, released by WikiLeaks (after likely theft by Russian state hackers), easily shows the nature and extent of Abedin鈥檚 influence.
When ex-President Bill Clinton鈥檚 paid speeches scheduled near his wife鈥檚 presidential campaign announcement threaten to become a problem, it鈥檚 Abedin who with everybody involved, and offers to push for a rescheduling.
When HRC (as Mrs. Clinton is referred to in most of Abedin鈥檚 correspondence) is considering setting up delicate political meetings with potential rivals VP Joe Biden and former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, Abedin on timing to the rest of Clinton鈥檚 staff.
When top staffers are workshopping a series of tweets to be sent out in Clinton鈥檚 name on Martin Luther King Day, it鈥檚 Abedin who .
Whether it鈥檚 discussion of how to handle New York Mayor Bill de Blasio鈥檚 inquiries for access, or a draft response to a letter from Ralph Nader, or an alert about leaked data from an upcoming CNN poll, Abedin鈥檚 at the center of the email chain.
But it鈥檚 that centrality that has now landed her in a difficult situation. Thousands of emails related to her work have turned up on a computer she shared with Mr. Weiner, who鈥檚 under investigation for allegedly exchanging sexually charged messages with a 15-year-old girl.
Abedin has reportedly said she does not know how the emails got there. Given the large number, it鈥檚 possible they are not physically on the laptop itself but in cloud data storage once shared by the couple. For the FBI, the question is whether any of those emails contain classified information, or whether they were intentionally concealed from previous investigations.
It鈥檚 possible the stash of communications is duplicative and otherwise benign. It鈥檚 possible there are problems for Clinton somewhere in the messages. But their mere existence is the biggest headache for the Clinton campaign right now. Their appearance has energized the Trump campaign. In the absence of further word from the FBI, opponents can speculate about the worst possible interpretations of the data with little fear of contradiction.
鈥淭hank you Huma. Good job, Huma,鈥� on the campaign trail.
A murky future
Abedin, once a fixture at Clinton鈥檚 own appearances, has disappeared from the physical campaign. Officially, she鈥檚 taking time off to let things clear up and will resume travel sometime in the next few days. It鈥檚 unlikely she鈥檇 quit or be fired in the next few days simply because that might appear to be an admission of guilt or weakness with the election only days away.
And Abedin already faced some controversy. Much of the past criticism aimed Abedin鈥檚 way has focused on her Muslim religion and heritage. In 2012 Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann wrote the State Department inspector general charging that Abedin had 鈥渕urky鈥� ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Washington Post editorial page 鈥� a 鈥渂aseless and paranoid鈥� assertion.
But more credibly, Republicans (and some Democrats) have questioned an arrangement where Abedin worked at the State Department and at a global consulting firm named Teneo at the same time.
A special government exemption authorized this dual employment. But one of Teneo鈥檚 co-founders is Doug Band, an ex-staffer for President Clinton who鈥檚 pushed for government meetings and other favors for Clinton Foundation donors. That鈥檚 raised allegations that Abedin might be involved in the 鈥減ay for play鈥� business.
Clinton has stuck by her aide to this point. In the past, Abedin seemed a sure bet to win the post of chief of staff or some other top job if Clinton wins the election (itself far from a sure thing). Does that assumption still hold? The eventual outcome of the new email investigation likely holds the answer to that question. It鈥檚 quite possible she鈥檇 be a distraction that could complicate Clinton鈥檚 efforts to get any sort of agenda through Congress.
鈥淕iven the level of suspicion that a substantial portion of the electorate has about Hillary Clinton, why give them more of an excuse [to dislike her]?鈥� says Professor Baker.
