[NYP] A top aide to then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton traveled to Manhattan to interview candidates to head the Clinton Foundation, it was reported Thursday.Cheryl Mills, then the chief of staff for Clinton at the State Department, took an Amtrak train from Washington, DC, to New York in June 2012 to interview prospects for the charity, CNN reported.
The report is the latest example of the murky boundary between Clinton’s role as the nation’s top diplomat and her family’s multimillion-dollar global charity.
CNN noted that upon her becoming secretary of state, Clinton and the foundation had agreed that neither would "create conflicts or the appearance of conflict."
The revelation that Mills was directly involved in foundation work gives new ammunition to critics who complain of a revolving door for Clinton cronies between the State Department and the influential nonprofit.
E-mails released Tuesday showed how wealthy foundation contributors could fork over piles of cash to get access to Clinton’s inner circle, including Mills and another top aide, Huma Abedin.
Mills’ attorney told CNN that she was not on State Department time during the trip. Mills was not paid to work for the foundation, he said, adding that no government funds were spent on the trip.
Likewise, Clinton’s campaign spokesman, Brian Fallon, said Mills was working as a volunteer.