Hillary Clinton Chose to Shield a Top Adviser Accused of Harassment in 2008<br />Those familiar with the accounts said that, over the years, a number of advisers urged Mrs. Clinton to sever ties with Mr. Strider,<br />and people familiar with what took place did not want to see Mrs. Clinton blamed for the misconduct of men she was close to.<br />Mr. Strider, who was Mrs. Clinton’s faith adviser, a co-founder of the American Values Network, and sent the candidate scripture readings every morning for months during the campaign, was hired five years later to lead an independent group<br />that supported Mrs. Clinton’s 2016 candidacy, Correct the Record, which was created by a close Clinton ally, David Brock.<br />Ms. O’Connell, who is currently chief executive officer of the Democratic National Committee, handled the investigation and advised the Clinton campaign manager, Patti Solis Doyle,<br />that Mr. Strider should be fired, according to three people familiar with the events.<br />They said that Ms. Solis Doyle, the campaign manager,<br />and other senior campaign officials discussed the situation involving Mr. Strider and Mrs. Clinton’s response at the time.<br />WASHINGTON — A senior adviser to Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign who was accused of repeatedly sexually harassing a<br />young subordinate was kept on the campaign at Mrs. Clinton’s request, according to four people familiar with what took place.<br />Instead, Mr. Strider was docked several weeks of pay and ordered to undergo counseling, and the young woman was moved to a new job.<br />A spokesman for Mrs. Clinton provided a statement from Utrecht, Kleinfeld, Fiori, Partners, the law firm<br />that had represented the campaign in 2008 and which her advisers said has been involved on sexual harassment issues.<br />Mrs. Clinton’s campaign manager at the time recommended that she fire the adviser, Burns Strider.
