Hillary Clinton said Wednesday that she has “no knowledge” of opposition research being carried out by a closely-aligned super PAC against Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden. The Democratic front-runner also said that she hopes that the group behind the hit jobs, Correct the Record, will cease and desist.
“I don’t know anything about what you’re saying,” Clinton told “PBS New Hour’s” Judy Woodruff when asked about reports that Correct the Record is digging into the political pasts of Sanders and Biden. “I have no knowledge of what they are doing. I’ve said I want anybody supporting me to go after Republicans.”
Correct the Record has a unique relationship with the Clinton campaign, one which it is able to maintain because of a loophole in federal election law. According to Federal Election Commission records, the Clinton campaign paid the group $275,615 on June 1.
In exchange for the dough, Correct the Record conducts opposition research on Clinton’s opponents — mostly Republicans but also Democratic contenders.
The not-so-friendly fire effort was first exposed last month when The Huffington Post published details of an email from the group comparing Sanders to Jeremy Corbyn, the newly-elected radical leader of U.K.’s Labour Party. The email also compared Sanders to Hugo Chavez, the former dictator of Venezuela. (RELATED: Clinton Minion Won’t Apologize For Dirty Opposition Research Attack On Bernie Sanders)
And New York Magazine reported earlier this week that Correct the Record intends produce research about Biden’s ties to Wall Street and his reluctance to support the raid against Osama bin Laden. (RELATED: Report: Hillary Prepares To Feed Press Damaging Biden Stories)
Asked if she would call on Brock and his minions to “cease and desist” in those nefarious efforts, Clinton told Woodruff: “I’ve just said, I want people who support me to go after Republicans.”
Pressed on the Biden research, Clinton said, “first of all, I have no knowledge of it.”
“I have been very clear, anybody who listens to my public statements, anybody who pays attention to what I say, I want to give Vice President Biden whatever space and time he needs to make his decision,” Clinton said.
Biden is expected to announce whether he will run later this week. While expressing sympathy for Biden’s position — his eldest son, Beau, died from a brain tumor — Clinton hinted that if he does enter the race, he will be the target of pro-Clinton researchers.
“Now, if he gets into the election, people are going to be raising questions, just like they do about me,” Clinton said.
“That’s what happens when you get into the arena. But I’m not asking, and I don’t approve of anybody who is supporting me, or who say they support me, to be focusing on anyone other than the Republicans.”
Woodruff attempted a final time to nail Clinton down on the research against Biden. She responded: “Judy, I don’t know anything about it. I can’t comment on it any further than I have.”
For his part, Correct the Record’s Brock has been unapologetic for his effort in taking down Clinton’s opponents.
“This is just standard opposition research,” he said last month.
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