Among the many leaked emails that have been exposed after Hillary Clinton used an insecure server during her time as secretary of state, a dozen give a behind-the-scenes view of Coca-Cola’s efforts to influence a presidential candidate.
Emails leaked last month by DC Leaks, a "hacktivist" website, show that Coke executives and consultants tried to talk Clinton into backing down from supporting a tax on sugary sodas earlier this year.
They later claimed credit internally for at least getting Clinton to stop talking about it, the emails show, although the company said the candidate’s position didn’t change.
Meanwhile, another document released by WikiLeaks last month shows that two people close to the Clintons won over Coke CEO Muhtar Kent and the late Don Keough, a former chairman of the beverage giant’s board of directors.
The company donated at least $4.3 million to the Clinton Foundation between 2004 and 2010, according to the memo. Coca-Cola’s giving has since grown to between $5 million and $10 million, according to the Clinton family charity.
The Clinton Foundation has spent millions fighting social ills in the U.S. and around the globe. News reports and rival politicians have criticized the organization for years as an apparent funnel for millions in donations from corporations and foreign governments seeking to buy influence.
WikiLeaks was also the source of another hacked email from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta that mentioned Coca-Cola’s Kent and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed as potential vice presidential candidates.
Coca-Cola neither confirmed nor denied the accuracy of the emails. Company spokesman Kent Landers said Coca-Cola donates money to the Clinton Foundation and its related organization, the Clinton Global Initiative, because the company wants to support its charitable work.
Landers said the company expressed its opposition to the soda tax, but added: “The campaign did not change its position.”
Clinton campaign officials on Wednesday confirmed that Clinton said she was "very supportive" of a proposed soda tax in Philadelphia during an April 20 visit to the city, citing its use to help fund education.
The campaign declined further comment on the matter, or on any of the emails leaked by DC Leaks.
The episode “sounds like typical Clinton,” said Seth Weathers, a surrogate for Republican presidential contender Donald Trump’s campaign: “What else will she back off of if it involves somebody who’s giving her money?”
An open window
None of the documents suggest anything illegal or necessarily improper about Coke’s emails or donations to the Clinton camp. But the documents open a window on the back-and-forth exchange of people, money and influence that bind big corporations and top political leaders.
The emails show how the corporate-government merry-go-round works: Coke hired former Clinton functionaries — from the staffs of both Bill and Hillary Clinton — as consultants and relied on their access when needed. One of the former Coke consultants, Sara Latham, is now chief of staff for Podesta, Clinton’s campaign chairman.
The tone of the Coca-Cola team’s comments indicate that they expected something in return for whatever support the company provided.
“Really? After all we have done. I hope this has been falsely reported,” Clyde Tuggle, head of Coke’s government and public relations departments, groused on April 20. He had just heard about Clinton’s comments that day on the Philadelphia soda tax.
“(Please) give me some talking points for (Coke CEO) Muhtar in the (morning),” he emailed two Clinton associates who were then on Coke’s payroll as independent consultants, one of them Latham. The other was Capricia Marshall, who was chief of protocol at the State Department when Clinton was secretary of state.
But by the end of the next day, the flurry of emails had died down after Coke’s consultants apparently received assurances that the soda tax wasn’t high on Clinton’s agenda.
“We’ve confirmed that there is no continued conversation (by the Clinton campaign) around beverage taxes today and in future engagements,” Coke government affairs vice president Katherine Rumbaugh told Tuggle in an email update. “Campaign is not going to drive conversation here or weigh in further.”
The next steps were “how to walk this (issue) back,” she added.
In another email to her boss, Rumbaugh said her team “worked together with campaign (communications) team to keep story to one day … (and) to keep GOP from picking up the ball and carrying forward, potentially generating more media.”
The emails might have been a case of a PR executive trying to show results to her boss. Clinton’s comment might have been an off-the-cuff stance on an issue that isn’t a stump staple for either candidate and simply hasn’t come up again.
Regardless, Tuggle noted in an email the next evening to Latham and Marshall that then-presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders had criticized Clinton’s support of the soda tax, calling it a regressive tax on the poor.
“Bernie couldn’t have said it better,” Tuggle wrote in the email.
Neither Marshall nor Latham now works for Coca-Cola, according to the company. Marshall was a consultant for Coke from late 2014 to mid-2016; Latham consulted with Coke from 2012 to 2015 and has since returned to Clinton’s campaign organization.
No particular result
Coke spokesman Landers said the company simply expressed its view, without any particular result.
“We were disappointed to learn that Secretary Clinton supported the beverage tax in Philadelphia,” he said. “Following her comments, we shared our point of view on this issue with the campaign, but the campaign did not change its position on the Philadelphia beverage tax.”
Landers said Coca-Cola is “nonpartisan” and doesn’t endorse presidential candidates or donate to their campaigns.
But the company has been a heavy spender in other ways that would get a politician’s attention. It spent roughly $600,000 to sponsor the Republican National Convention in 2012, and has donated millions to the Clinton Foundation.
An email by one of Bill Clinton’s closest aides, Doug Band, described how a consulting firm that he co-founded helped spur Coke’s string of donations.
Band’s partner in the firm, Declan Kelly, “advised the CEO of Coca-Cola for years,” Band wrote in a 2011 memo released last month by WikiLeaks. He described his partner as one of Hillary Clinton’s’ top campaign fundraisers in her 2008 race for president.
“Mr. Kelly introduced the CEO of Coca-Cola, Muhtar Kent, to (former president Bill) Clinton in January 2009 at a meeting he arranged at President Clinton’s home in DC,” Band said. “Mr. Kelly asked Mr. Kent to give $5 million to the foundation, which he pledged in early 2010.”
Coke’s dealings with Trump, the Republican’s presidential nominee, have been tepid in comparison.
According to The New York Times, Coke was among a number of formerly big corporate sponsors that cut back on donations to sponsor the Republican National Convention this year. A group called Color of Change had petitioned companies to not support Trump’s “hateful and racist rhetoric” if he became the Republican nominee.
Landers said Coke had decided to cut support at this year’s political conventions for unrelated reasons, and donated $75,000 to each party’s 2016 political convention.
Trump’s response on his Twitter account: “The Coca-Cola company is not happy with me — that’s OK, I’ll still keep drinking that garbage.”
Coca-Cola’s sugar rush
At a forum in Philadelphia on April 20, Hillary Clinton said she was “very supportive” of Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s proposed 3-cent per ounce tax on sodas – three times higher than former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s tax on sugary soft drinks. Clinton’s statement stirred a flurry of activity among executives at Coca-Cola, which opposes such taxes, to get Clinton to modify her position. Those emails among Coca-Cola’s team were released last month by DC Leaks.
April 20
9:30 p.m.
Susan Neely, CEO of American Beverage Association, the industry’s largest trade group, to Katherine Rumbaugh, Coca-Cola’s vice president of government affairs:
“Ouch. Our local team in Philly isn’t worried about the impact there but it makes me irritated. Seems totally unnecessary.”
9:37 p.m.
Katherine Rumbaugh to Susan Neely:
“WTF -- this seems completely random.”
9:39 p.m.
Susan Neely to Kate Rumbaugh:
“My sentiments exactly. Random and unnecessary…
"It may be nothing more than candidate running hard on trail and responding without thinking to pitch from local mayor.”
10:58 p.m.
Clyde Tuggle, Coca-Cola chief of public affairs, to two Clinton insiders, then Coca-Cola consultants, Capricia Marshall, once Clinton’s State Department staff, and Sara Latham, now on Clinton’s campaign staff:
“Really? After all we have done. I hope this has been falsely reported. (Please) give me some talking points for (Coke CEO) Muhtar (Kent) in the (morning). Thanks!”
April 21
5:44 a.m.
Caprica Marshall to Sara Latham:
“Are you looking into this and I should sit tight? On train to NY -- call when you can.”
6:54 a.m.
Sara Latham to Capricia Marshall:
“Yep. I’ll look into this (morning), so don’t ask HRC (Hillary Clinton) -- yet… ;-) Xoxox”
9:39 a.m.
Clyde Tuggle to Sara Latham:
“Sorry to be a pest on this, but Muhtar and Sandy are now involved and looking for answers. Additionally, the industry will now have to take a public stance. Sara, would really appreciate a call when you have a minute. Thank you!”
1:23 p.m.
Katherine Rumbaugh to Clyde Tuggle:
“First, we’ve confirmed that there is no continued conversation (by Clinton campaign) around beverage taxes today and in future engagements – campaign is not going to drive conversation here or weigh in further. Also, Jake Sullivan (on Clinton’s policy team) confirmed that they are not driving this from a policy (point of view).
"We’re also working on how to walk this back. Crafting talking points bolstered by public opinion polling … We’re also trying to determine if HRC would go further and say, ‘When president, Philadelphia and other communities will get the funding they need for important programs like this.’ ... Initial read is (Hillary Clinton) would potentially be interested in this approach. ... We’re working on it.”
4:58 p.m.
Capricia Marshall to Sara Latham:
“Can U talk?
7:33 p.m.
Katherine Rumbaugh to Clyde Tuggle:
“The HRC campaign leadership team was caught unaware of the comments about the beverage tax. It was not part of the agenda or planned comments, nor part of the policy brief. Here is an end-of-day update on our actions and next steps:
"Worked together with campaign (communications) team to keep story to one day.
"We also worked to keep GOP from picking up the ball and carrying forward, potentially generating more media.
"From campaign policy team, we have the understanding that this is not part of the campaign policy agenda and will not be pushed further.
"We will brief the campaign and have the agreement to talk further about walking this back following the April 26th Pennsylvania primary. ...”
April 22
7:37 p.m.
Clyde Tuggle to Sara Latham and Capricia Marshall, reacting to (then-Democratic presidential candidate) Bernie Sanders’ opposition to Hillary Clinton’s support for the Philadelphia soda tax. He called it a regressive tax on the poor:
“Bernie couldn’t have said it better.”
Coca-Cola’s donations to the Clinton Foundation
In a 2011 memo released last month by WikiLeaks, Doug Band, one of Bill Clinton’s closest aides, detailed his firm’s role in recruiting speaking engagements and corporate donations that netted millions of dollars for the former president and his family foundation, the Clinton Foundation.
One of the biggest donors was Coca-Cola, according to this memo excerpt, which details the activities of his firm, Teneo, co-owned with partner Declan Kelly, one of Hillary Clinton's top campaign fundraisers in her 2008 race for president:
Band memo:
“The Coca-Cola Company – total giving: $4,330,000
"2004: $250,000 year total – for the operating fund
"2006: $30,000 year total – for CGI (Clinton Global Initiative)
"2007: $30,000 year total – for CGI membership
"2008: $20,000 year total – for CGI membership
"2009: $1,000,000 year total – for operating fund
"2010: $3,000,000 year total – for operating fund
"Mr. Kelly has advised the CEO of Coca-Cola for years; he also enjoys a close relationship with one of the company’s largest shareholders, Don Keogh. Mr. Kelly introduced the CEO of Coca-Cola, Muhtar Kent, to President Clinton in January 2009 at a meeting he arranged at President Clinton’s home in DC. Over the course of 2009, Mr. Kelly cultivated Mr. Kent’s interest in the foundation – first in CGI and the foundation. Mr. Kelly asked Mr. Kent to give $5 million to the foundation, which he pledged in early 2010. Mr. Kelly has collected $3 million of that pledge to date and he and I both will secure the remaining $2 million in the near future.”
Cox Media Group
