Washington, D.C. (AHN) - Sen. Hillary Clinton's chief campaign strategist has quit after criticism over conflicts of interest because his public relations firm has had contacts with the Colombian government on a free-trade deal in the works, Clinton campaign officials said.
Mark Penn is CEO of public relations firm Burston Marstellar. In that role, he was hired by the Colombian government to represent it in a pending U.S.-Colombia trade pact, which Clinton opposes.
Penn met last week with Colombia's ambassador to the United States to discuss the pending trade pact agreement. That was the same pact that Clinton has criticized while campaigning and which the New York senator opposes as the Bush administration tries to push it through Congress.
On Friday, Penn acknowledged the meeting calling it an error in judgment that he wouldn't repeat, prompting the Colombian government to fire the public relations firm, calling Penn's comment a "lack of respect" for Colombians.
Both Penn and Clinton's campaign rushed to say that the meeting was in no way connected to Clinton and that Clinton's opposition to the trade deal the Bush administration is trying to push through Congress was clear.
Despite that, there were calls for Penn to step down, including a call by a key Clinton backer in the upcoming Pennsylvania April 22 primary, the state's governor on Sunday suggested it would be better for Clinton's campaign if Penn left.
Penn, who also heads his own political consulting firm, will still advise Clinton's campaign.
link:
http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010559340I post this for the clarity in the headline. Too much of the focus has been on Penn's mess-up. It is about more than him. It's about the hubris and continued sense of entitlement from the failing Clinton Campaign. The fact that they let Penn go lobby for union busters, and still keep him on the campaign is insulting.
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