David Brock Providing Training for Hillary’s Media Surrogates

David Brock’s Correct the Record is providing media training to Hillary Clinton supporters, helping them rehearse their stories in case they are called on to promote her on television.

The Washington Post reports that Brock’s group gathered local New Hampshire politicos and “rehearsed their personal tales of how they met Hillary Rodham Clinton and why they support her for president.” Special attention was given to defending Hillary’s record as Secretary of State. Then the group tested their pre-scripted statements in mock interviews.

The Post notes similar sessions were held in Iowa, Nevada, and South Carolina, all with the goal of creating a core of surrogates in each state who are reading from the same pro-Hillary script.

Correct the Record was originally part of American Bridge, the progressive super PAC/tracking firm created by David Brock. In May, Correct the Record was relaunched as a stand-alone PAC which would work closely with the Clinton campaign.

Usually Super PACs are prevented from coordinating their activities with campaigns; however, Correct the Record announced that it would work around this restriction. A spokesperson for the group told Bloomberg News in May, “FEC rules specifically permit some activity—in particular, activity on an organization’s website, in email, and on social media—to be legally coordinated with candidates and political parties.”

Correct the Record’s close relationship with the Clinton campaign was described as “campaign finance law boundary-pushing” by Paul S. Ryan, senior counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, in a statement to Bloomberg News. Ryan added that under current law the group, “cannot make any contributions to a candidate directly or in kind.” It’s not clear how prepping media surrogates for Hillary’s campaign avoids this restriction.

Correct the Record is one of two Super PACs supporting Hillary Clinton’s bid for the presidency. The other is Priorities USA Action. Clinton has made getting “unaccountable money” out of politics a major issue of her campaign, saying she would support a constitutional amendment to repeal the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.