Politics

Email: Democrat Asks Podesta For Help Landing North Korea Post

Reuters

David Krayden Ottawa Bureau Chief
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Newly released Podesta emails show a Democratic operative begging to be the U.S. envoy to North Korea.

Guy L. Smith IV is currently engaged as a “special advisor” to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign.

In a July 10, 2014 email, marked “High Confidential”  — and released Friday by WikiLeaks — Smith wrote to John Podesta, then counselor to President Obama, asking Podesta to help him become the envoy to North Korea.

Smith declares his fitness for the position by describing himself as “actually qualified to do that job.”

“John…. Hope all is good with you. I see where Glyn Davies, State’s North Korea envoy, is about to get a big Asian ambassador post. I would love to have Glyn’s post. As you know, I’ve been working with the North Koreans and traveling there since the mid-1990s. I’m actually qualified to do that job. I am currently EVP [Executive Vice President] of Diageo, same post I’ve had since leaving The White House. Can you help me pursue this? Cheers!……….guy”

Diageo is a multinational alcohol distributing firm based out of the U.K.

Smith was also a special advisor to President Bill Clinton from 1998 to 1999 and worked on his impeachment defense team. His biography notes that he “also served as an informal strategic communications advisor to President Clinton from the beginning of the Clinton Administration.”

Smith didn’t get the North Korea job.