Who's Paying Maggie Williams?

For weeks now, it has been routinely reported that Maggie Williams, who replaced the ousted Patti Solis Doyle as Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, is working without pay. I've wondered about it from the first time I read it.

This is the same Maggie Williams who worked as the First Lady's chief of staff, with an office in the West Wing and the additional title of Assistant to the President; the same Maggie Williams who came under fire during the Clintons' first term for allegedly removing papers from Vince Foster's office after he committed suicide, and who, although never charged with any wrong doing, accumulated $350,000 in legal bills as a result of being hauled in front of the Senate Banking Committee and questioned about matters relating to Whitewater. She also became embroiled in President Clinton's fundraising scandals. After Bill Clinton unhappily left the White House, Williams worked briefly as his chief of staff; successfully bringing order and goals to the initially distracted and disordered former president.

In Saturday's Wall Street Journal, Mary Jacoby, T.W. Farnam and Amy Chozick report on the financial situations as of late February of the two campaigns. Obama has little debt and $32 million in the bank to devote to besting Hillary. Hillary has $11 million and has $3.7 million in debt. For the month of February, Hillary's campaign managers paid $3.1 million to pollster/strategist Mark Penn's firm and $608,000 to advertising adviser Mandy Grunwald's firm, while Maggie Williams, who seems central to whatever ups the Hillary campaign has enjoyed lately, received nothing.

Questions were raised when news broke last month that Hillary had loaned her campaign $5 million and that some of her senior staffers would be working, temporarily, without pay. But then came assurances that fundraising had picked up and everyone was being paid; everyone, apparently, except Maggie Williams.

As far as I can tell nobody is raising the question about Williams' payless paydays. Does it strike anyone else as odd? If Hillary wins the nomination will Williams work for free during the general election campaign? If Hillary makes it to the White House, has Williams been promised the chief of staff's job?

Comments

[AlgerHiss]

Carol,

Why didn't you ask Maggie to comment?

If it's true, it shows Hillary isn't wise. You don't forget to pay your top gun and expect to get her best effort. You pay the person you need the most first. Not last, and not late.

The continuation of the campaign is a waste of everyone's time and money. Nobody seems to point this out. Why?

Clinton is draining the Democratic Party supporters' bank accounts. First by giving to her when it won't help her; and second, because it forces other Democrat Party supporters to give to Obama to defeat Clinton. Then he spends millions more on ads which he wouldn't spend if she went home.

Squandered resources across the board.

[Whinger]

The honor of being Hillary's campaign manager is payment enough, am I right Maggie?

[ljsfolly]

It does make me think someone is paying her....it could be an illegal donation from someone over the limit donating to the campaign. It could be Hillary is paying her hence the sense behind the no tax returns and all the other muck up about finances. I truly cannot believe Maggie will work for free and I would challenge a real journalist/reporter or whomever to find the source of her payday. Someone must know.

[DRHoen]

Think of it as a (large) campaign donation.

[PLUMPLUM]

Maggie Williams apparently does a much better job than Waste Management could ever do. She knows her value and the Clintons know it too. Poor little former Chief of Staf to both Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton is being abused.

[lynellep]

This is very interesting. Why would Maggie work for free? Why would HRC allow her to work for free? Didn't she just make a speech about women finally getting equal pay for equal work? Maybe she should lead by example and make sure it happens in her own campaign.

[lbrillante]

All I know is that report on finances demonstrates to me that Senator Obama has greater potential to be a great leader when it comes to the economy as he carries minimal debt compared to income. When it comes to how he has run his campaign I think it is a good reflection of how he would run the country. Senator Clinton could have had this nomination if she had been ethical, smart, and honest throughout her campaign. She had every advantage. But to me the striking difference between the candidates is their character and some dismiss this as 'personality' as if it should be somehow irrelevant but I see clearly how the president's personality is interjected deeply into how they run the country. I am not interested in rewarding a highly unethical campaign by voting for Hillary if she became the nominee. I would be out of integrity with myself if I did.

[foufou]

If Maggie Williams is indeed working for free, it would appear to be exploitative (look at the fees/compensation for Mark Penn, Howard Wolfson, etc) paid by the Clinton campaign..a black woman working for free while the white men get paid. Is this something that the feminists should be concerned about? Why should HRC allow Maggie Williams to serve without compensation while she pays top dollar to her male contractors? I too think this story stinks whether true or false.

[foufou]

If Maggie Williams is indeed working for free, it would appear to be exploitative (look at the fees/compensation for Mark Penn, Howard Wolfson, etc) paid by the Clinton campaign..a black woman working for free while the white men get paid. Is this something that the feminists should be concerned about? Why should HRC allow Maggie Williams to serve without compensation while she pays top dollar to her contractors? I too think this story stinks whether true or false.

[laylahb]

Would you work for nothing? I don't think so. The scent of four day old salmon fills the air..

[dsmyre]

Maybe they're paying her mortgage, auto loan, grocery bill, utilities, etc. in lieu of an actual salary. Surely they wouldn't allow her to go homeless or hungry.

[ndolomar]

Couldn't have written it better myself. Something definitely is wrong with this.