Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, John Podesta, urged the former secretary of state to contact two “needy Latinos” to convince them to endorse her for president, hacked emails released on Wednesday show.
“Needy Latinos and 1 easy call,” Podesta wrote to Clinton in an Aug. 21, 2015 email released by Wikileaks.
Podesta went on to list Federico Pena, Bill Clinton’s Secretary of Transportation, and former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson as the two Latinos Clinton should woo.
Podesta suggested reaching out to Pena as a favor to Ken Salazar, President Obama’s first secretary of the interior and a former Colorado senator.
Podesta also urged Clinton make “a quick call” to Richardson “to ask him to stay stout and publicly endorse.”
“But if it’s too galling, don’t bother,” he added.
He also said that Richardson “can be a dick,” but that he is politically useful because he “is still on TV a lot, especially on Univision and Telemundo.”
“I have pressed Bill, but I think it will take a call from you to get a formal endorsement,” added Podesta.
Clinton did not respond on the email chain.
Richardson also served in the Bill Clinton administration, both as secretary of energy and as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
The Clinton campaign has focused heavily on appealing to Latino voters.