Carly Fiorina’s presidential campaign says she is not accepting paid speaking engagements despite an email sent by a Washington-based speakers bureau Tuesday claiming Fiorina has “limited availability” for paid speeches.
“I wanted to send you a quick, private note about Carly Fiorina. Though she maintains an active campaign calendar, she has limited availability for speaking engagements,” Lisa McFadden, a program consultant for Leading Authorities Inc., wrote to potential clients in an email Tuesday that has since been confirmed by the Washington Examiner.
In addition to highlighting Fiorina’s resume, including her six-year tenure as the former chief executive of Hewlett-Packard and status as the only female candidate in the Republican presidential field, McFadden urged clients to respond should they wish to book Fiorina for a speaking engagement or learn more about her “availability and fees.”
“We did not approve the email so we’re not sure why it went out,” Anna Epstein, a spokeswoman for Fiorina, told the Washington Examiner. She noted that Fiorina is “not accepting paid speeches.”
Matthew Jones, the speaking firm’s chief operating officer, told the Wall Street Journal that McFadden’s email was intended for a private audience and “probably had a legal disclaimer on it.” The Journal was the first to report the email solicitations Tuesday.
“There’s a number of people that we work with who are happy to entertain speaking engagements but aren’t for whatever reason being publicly promoted,” he noted. “It’s not at all uncommon that they continue to do this while they run.”
Fiorina’s deputy campaign manager, Sarah Isgur Flores, was also quoted as saying her boss is not “accepting any [paid speaking] requests during the campaign.”
