Miguel E. Rodriguez, who has served as lawyer to Huma Abedin and as deputy assistant secretary for Senate affairs in the Justice Department under Hillary Clinton, sought the advice of the Clinton campaign before joining the board of pro-Clinton super PAC Priorities USA. He told top Clinton aide Cheryl Mills, “I want to be helpful in any and every way I can.”
In an email dated March 18, 2015, Rodriguez wrote to Mills he’d been approached about joining the board of the super PAC, but “I still need to run the traps at my firm.”
“All that being said, was wondering if you’re free to chat for 5 minutes,” Rodriguez continued. “I want to be helpful in any and every way I can. Maybe this is it but maybe it’s something else. Want to be sure I run it by you before I jump into anything.”
Mills forwarded the email to campaign chairman John Podesta, campaign manage Robby Mook, and chief administrative officer Charlie Baker, a former Priorities USA board member himself, asking “Thoughts?”
Rodriguez officially joined the Priorities USA board on Sept. 23.
It is unlawful for campaigns to coordinate their activities with superPACs.