The monthly Hillary Clinton emails being released by the State Department give only glimpses into the operations of the former Secretary of State—many of the most interesting parts have been redacted or otherwise classified before release to the public. But some reveal the quirks that can only be seen behind the scenes, like one from senior advisor Philippe Reines, who created a lengthy flowchart to tell other top Clinton aides who gets to ride in the car with the secretary.
If an ambassador is “tolerable,” Reines writes, they should ride in the limo. And top Clinton aides Huma Abedin and Jake Sullivan should always receive preference, according to the flowchart. If the drive is 10 minutes or more, Clinton rides solo; if longer, and it is possible for Clinton to call her chief of staff, Clinton should ride solo and call. But barring all of these other possibilities, “Philippe should jump in.” Should Reines have not already jumped in, “invite him in,” the flowchart instructs—if he already had, “Chutzpah!”
Three days after the flow chart email, Reines jokingly complained that he did not “receive sufficient appreciation” for the flowchart. “It took HOURS to get the formatting right. Literally hours to ensure it would work on every size font,” he wrote. “Without positive reinforcement I’m not sure I can continue to really invest myself in these missives/diatribes.”
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Minutes later, Sullivan passes the email onto to Clinton herself: “See below.”
—Tim Mak
