The IT staffer who worked on Hillary Clinton’s private server that she used for official use during her stint at the State Department has launched “yet another blow” to the former First Lady’s presidential campaign. According to NBC White House Correspondent Kristen Welke, Bryan Pagliano is pleading the Fifth and is refusing to appear before the Benghazi Select Committee next week.
While it is legal for Pagliano to invoke his Fifth Amendment rights, it is seen as a political liability for Hillary Clinton. The Washington Free Beacon reports that Chuck Todd and Savannah Guthrie discussed the fallout for the former First Lady on the Today Show.
“We don’t know what this man’s lawyer told him to do, but as a political matter for Hillary Clinton, to have a staffer who says I’d better not testify because I don’t want to incriminate myself, that does not look good,” Guthrie said.
“In the court of public opinion, when you plead the Fifth, as far as the political world is concerned, you’re already admitting to some potential wrongdoing, regardless of the legal part of this,” Todd said. “That’s what makes this investigation potentially damaging to Hillary Clinton.”
“The Clinton campaign may think it has its arms around this political problem, but when you cannot control different people in this situation who may decide, again, what’s in the political interest of Hillary Clinton is not in my legal interest, then you know you have a problem down the road,” Todd said.
Even NBC Clinton cheerleaders appear to no longer be providing Hillary the shelter she received not that long ago. As the scandals begin to pile up, her allies in the media are beginning to turn their backs on her. And with this staffer unwilling to fall on the sword to save the former First Lady’s campaign, Hillary might be diving even lower in the polls.
What would you like to ask this Hillary staffer? Please comment below.