The radical transparency organization WikiLeaks revealed through a released email posted on its Twitter account the close relations between Alphabet´s chairman and former Google chief executive Eric Schmidt with Hillary Clinton´s presidential campaign. The hi-tech giant boss is known for having close ties to the Obama administration and the Democratic Party.
Google head Eric Schmidt's draft strategic plan for Hillary Clinton #PodestaEmails https://t.co/LskJODXyXn More: https://t.co/ZUfh7WDAT5 pic.twitter.com/UOUW3hg9tL
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) November 1, 2016
The emails show how the Eric Schmidt´s relationship with Clinton dating back to at least 2008, and revealed that Google loaned its jet to members of the Democratic nominee staff on various occasions. A February 2015 email to Clinton´s campaign chairman John Podesta from the former Bill Clinton chief of staff Tinay Flournoy showed that Google planned to lend its jet for a trip to Africa.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Eric Schmidt backed a startup dubbed Timshel in April 2014 that helped develop some of the technology behind Clinton´s campaign website. The emails revealed that this included the functions to sign up supporters and accept donations. Also, it was revealed how Eric Schmidt wanted to be "heat outside advisor" to any future presidential candidate.
"Here are some comments and observations based on what we saw in the 2012 campaign. If we get started soon, we will be in a very strong position to execute well for 2016," Eric Schmidt wrote to Clinton´s campaign chief Robby Mook, who also send the message to John Podesta, whose emails were leaked online by WikiLeaks.
Eric Schmidt also sent a memo in 2014 to Clinton aide Chery Mills in which he explained several tips on technology, including that the campaign create files to amass data on each potential voter and it should store its information in a remote server, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
"[The] key is the development of a single record for a voter that aggregates all that is known about them. In 2016 smartphones will be used to identify, meet, and update profiles on the voter. A dynamic volunteer can easily speak with a voter and, with their email or other digital handles, get the voter videos and other answers to areas they care about," Eric Schmidt wrote.
