The Washington Post assigned three researchers and reporter Matthew Mosk to work on a story suggested by Democrats intended to undermine Arizona Sen. John McCain’s 2008 bid for the presidency, according to newly released emails from WikiLeaks.
The messages reveal Tara McGuinness, a former staffer at the nonprofit Center for American Progress, boasting about the success to Democratic luminaries and praising the staffer responsible. “Christina Reynolds single-handedly convinced Mosk to put three researchers on this and to go to Arizona himself,” McGuinness wrote.
Reynolds was deputy campaign manager for Progressive Accountability, a project that fell partly under the umbrella of the Center for American Progress. “This is truly outstanding! Great work!” replied Paul Begala, a longtime aide to Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Mosk’s story centered on legislatives effort by McCain that enabled an Arizona rancher to engage in a land swap allowing him to obtain portions of federal land.
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Reynolds was rewarded for her work. She is serving this year is serving as the deputy communications director for Clinton’s campaign. McGuinness now is a senior staffer at the White House Office of Management and Budget. Mosk moved to ABC News.
The May 2008 messages were illegally obtained from a personal Gmail account held by Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta, who is also the founder of the Center for American Progress.
Documents published this week by WikiLeaks have pointed to far-reaching connections between Democrats and journalists. CNBC host John Harwood and a producer for MSNBC host Chris Hayes were exposed heaping unsolicited praise on Clinton, while New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman was revealed to have worked with the campaign to tee up helpful stories. Louise Mensch, the editor of Heat Street, was found to have suggested the script for a pro-Clinton ad campaign.
