“I'm not sure a lot of Americans know that a lot of the detention facilities for immigrants are run by private companies. They have a built-in incentive to fill them up - that there is actually a legal requirement that so many beds be filled. So people go out and round up people in order to get paid on a per-bed basis. I mean that just makes no sense at all to me. That's not the way we should be running any detention facility.”
Hillary Clinton made that statement in May, 2015.
One month later, she hired Jeffrey Berman, a lobbyist for Geo Group, to raise funds for her campaign. Geo Group is the second-largest private prison/immigration center corporation in the world. Five other donation 'bundlers' for her campaign have been lobbyists for the largest one, Corrections Corporation Of America. Berman also worked at the firm Bryan Cave and pulled nearly $1 million in two years lobbying for TransCanada’s Keystone pipeline project.
Clinton also continued her working relationship with private-prison lobbyist Richard Sullivan of Capitol Counsel AND Geo Group. However, in October, she was forced by ColorOfChange, Black Lives Matter and others to donate all funds she received from these lobbyists to charity. Yes, that’s right folks -- after being called on it, she flipped on the issue and agreed that prisons-for-profits is maybe not such a great thing after all.
Yet, given all that — Hillary Clinton had no probs calling up Tweety, her BFF over at Hardball, with a totes lame attempt to tie Bernie Sanders to the gun lobby. Matthews was more than happy to help her effort by tossing in a lie disingenuous quip at the very end.
Hillary: And I have raised this issue before standing next to Senator Sanders. He has refused to give a straight answer. He could today introduce legislation to repeal the immunity that was given to gun makers and sellers. I hope he will join me and the President in supporting real change. And that is what I’m looking for.Matthews: Madam Secretary, I believe he said he will not change his mind on that point. But thank you so much for coming on the program tonight.
BOY HOWDY, IS THAT RICH.
MEDIAite: “Hillary is essentially correct, but Matthews is dead wrong about Sanders’ statements on the immunity provision.”
And so is Hillary Clinton on the issue of immunity for gun manufacturers, as was well-hashed in the comments of Biancardi’s diary yesterday. She ranted at Matthews about how we can sue carmakers for making faulty cars, yada-yada-yada — COMPLETELY OFF THE MARK. And I say that as someone who has never owned a gun and likely never will.
Oh, and it is worth noting that Richard Sullivan was the Chair of the DNC back when Bill Clinton had a bit of a problem with fundraiser John Huang in '97.
Enjoy the day — VOTE IN THE PRIMARIES.