The Democratic National Committee held an off-record meeting with the Rupert Murdoch-owned Wall Street Journal in April, according to DNC emails released by WikiLeaks today.
A leaked email featured a schedule of numerous meetings with the media that were scheduled to take place during the week, and also included off-record meetings with Buzzfeed and Bloomberg.
The email was sent by Democrat National Press Secretary Mark Paustenbach to DNC staffer Kate Houghton on the 29th April, and the meetings were scheduled to take place in New York City:
Tuesday
6:30am-7:45am (tentative) Network Morning Show
10am (tentative) MSNBC / Meeting with Mika Brzezinski and Phil Griffin
12pm Off-the-Record Lunch Meeting with the Wall Street Journal Editors
Glenn Hall, National Editor; Tim Layer, Deputy National Editor; Chuck Hawkins, Political Editor; and, Sheila Courter, Election Editor
Another email shows Communications Director Luis Miranda leaking a PDF of a letter from the Sanders campaign to a WSJ reporter.
Five days later, Miranda used the same WSJ reporter to quash complaints from the Sanders campaign about the DNC’s platform drafting appointments.
The Wall Street Journal is owned by media magnate Rupert Murdoch, who just negotiated the exit of Fox News CEO and conservative icon Roger Ailes.
It is unknown as to what the meetings were about.
You can read the full email below:
Here’s the current plan.
Will move Wall Street Journal to an 11:30am-12:30pm meeting — not a lunch.
Monday 3:45pm (tentative) Off-the-Record Meeting with Bloomberg News/Politics editors OR Free time
4:45pm-5:50pm Bloomberg TV: “With All Due Respect” Location: 731 Lexington Avenue (East 58th Street and Lexington Avenue) Contact: Querry Robinson
4:45pm Arrival time for hair and makeup
5:20pm-5:45pm Hit Time
5:50pm Leave Bloomberg Studio
Tuesday
6:30am-7:45am (tentative) Network Morning Show
10am (tentative) MSNBC / Meeting with Mika Brzezinski and Phil Griffin
12pm Off-the-Record Lunch Meeting with the Wall Street Journal Editors
Glenn Hall, National Editor; Tim Layer, Deputy National Editor; Chuck Hawkins, Political Editor; and, Sheila Courter, Election Editor
Location: 1211 Avenue of the Americas
Contact: Glenn Hall
4:15pm-5:15pm Buzzfeed News
– Off-the-Record Meeting with Ben Smith, Editor-in-chief
– Podcast Taping with Evan McMorris-Santoro, Chief Campaign Reporter Location: 111 East 18th Street (between Park Avenue and Irving Place) Contact: Meredith Kennedy
Charlie Nash is a reporter for Breitbart Tech. You can follow him on Twitter @MrNashington or like his page at Facebook.