Hill's secret birthday girl
E- mails expose sly ‘ reminder’ minder
WASHINGTON— Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign is immodestly promoting her knack for “always” remembering birthdays — but it turns out it’s her government staff that really made sure the celebrations were never missed.
Heavily redacted State Department emails reveal that top aides on the government payroll were the ones keeping track of an expansive birthday calendar, lining up cheery voicemail greetings and even procuring ice cream and cake.
Though she gets the credit, Clinton’s role appears to be leaving a quick phone message or making a party cameo, the oncesecret emails show.
“Hillary always remembers a birthday. She’d like to send you a personal note on your special day,” her campaign emailed supporters Wednesday.
Another Clinton campaign email forwards an actual birthday missive Hillary sent to longtime aide Robert Russo, who gushes: “I think this tradition says something about the kind of person Hillary is. She remembers people’s birthdays and lets people know she’s thinking of them.”
But recently unsealed emails blow Birthday gate wide open, exposing longtime Clinton aide Huma Abedin as the real calendar maven.
“Today is [ expunged] birthday,” Abedin wrote Clinton on Sept. 2, 2009.
Abedin then goes on to explain how to send greetings without actually speaking to the unidentified celebrant, telling Clinton that if she calls and waits for 30 seconds, “then you will get voicemail and you can leave him a message.”
“Thx! I left him a message,” Clinton responded.
Another Abedin email on April 30, 2009, reads: “Reminder that today is [ expunged]’ s birthday,”
It turns out that it is Abedin— not Clinton— who organizes the office gathering that sends a message to a hardworking staffer that “I care.”
“Today Friday 5/ 22 is [ expunged]’ s birthday . . . There will be breakfast goodies in his honor,” Abedin wrote.
Another email — a May 5, 2009, message to Clinton that cc’s Abedin — exposes Clinton State Department aide Lauren Jiloty as the organizing force behind a celebration.
“Yes, we have donuts this morning. We will have cake and ice cream for later. I’ll find a time at the end of the day.”