Oops! Trump campaign tries to direct RNC to dig up Whitewater dirt on Clinton, accidentally emails Politico reporter instead

Error or shrewd media manipulation?

By Sophia Tesfaye

Senior Politics Editor

Published May 25, 2016 5:56PM (EDT)

  (AP/Mark J. Terrill)
(AP/Mark J. Terrill)

Donald Trump's campaign accidentally emailed Politico reporter Marc Caputo in search of dirt on "HRC/Whitewater" from the Republican National Committee on Wednesday.

Rookie mistake.

Caputo and his Politico colleague Ken Vogel reported on exactly how it all went down, and honestly, we've all been there. Sort of:

Trump campaign adviser Michael Caputo on Wednesday morning emailed a researcher at the Republican National Committee asking him to “work up information on HRC/Whitewater as soon as possible. This is for immediate use and for the afternoon talking points process.”

The email was obtained by POLITICO when Trump campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks, who Caputo copied on his request to the RNC, accidentally responded instead to Marc Caputo, a POLITICO reporter who is not related to the Republican consultant.

Politico goes on to explain the details of the Whitewater scandal, so what are the odds this wasn't a Trump campaign mistake at all?


By Sophia Tesfaye

Sophia Tesfaye is Salon's senior editor for news and politics, and resides in Washington, D.C. You can find her on Twitter at @SophiaTesfaye.

MORE FROM Sophia Tesfaye


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Comedy Donald Trump Election 2016 Elections 2016 Email Hillary Clinton Hope Hicks Rnc Whitewater