Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman tried to spark a campus revolt at Harvard University against one of President Obama’s mentors who opposed the administration’s climate regulations, according to illegally obtained emails posted by WikiLeaks Tuesday.
Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta tried to pull together environmental activists such as billionaire Tom Steyer to tap others in the climate camp to foment protests against constitutional law professor Laurence Tribe, according to an email sent by Podesta to Steyer in March 2015.He wanted Steyer to tap the nation’s leading anti-fossil fuel activist, Bill McKibben, to instigate a student protest on Harvard’s campus directed against Tribe. “Can you get … McKibben to organize Harvard student protests against him,” Podesta said in the email from his hacked accounts that WikiLeaks posted Tuesday. “I’m all for academic freedom when it’s not bought and paid for by Peabody Coal.” Tribe delivered oral arguments last month before the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, presenting the constitutional claims against the president’s Clean Power Plan, on behalf of the coal industry. He has been a vocal critic of the rule, despite being Obama’s mentor while at law school, and has testified before Congress against the climate regulations.
Steyer replied that he was “on it,” telling Podesta that he “will try” to fulfill his request.
