Subject: Fwd: Newsweek - profiling Debbie Wasserman Schultz
From: Tracie Pough <[email-masked]>
To: "Banfill, Ryan" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 17 May 2016 11:08:05 -0700

- TP

Begin forwarded message:

From: Jonathan Beeton <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Date: May 17, 2016 at 1:15:10 PM EDT
To: Tracie Pough <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Cc: "Banfill, Ryan" <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Subject: Re: Newsweek - profiling Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Ryan, just read below... I'm mixed on how to proceed.

On Tue, May 17, 2016 at 12:46 PM, Tracie Pough <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:
Added Ryan. Please share your thoughts and professional view given all that you know. He's drinking water from a fire hose right now.

- TP

On May 17, 2016, at 12:44 PM, Jonathan Beeton <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

He's fishing... not clear why.

1) his editor won't run the clothes piece w/o something from me (though he has a comment on background).

2) he's trying hard to be fair and wants to run a piece where one of us is pushing back forcefully on this.

It is a gamble, we could give him a quote that more forcefully pushes back on the politico story, so it isn't on the clothes themselves. But maybe that risks politico getting reengaged??

I'm happy to not respond, I just wanted to let you know.

Sent from my Fire

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Newsweek - profiling Debbie Wasserman Schultz
From: Taylor Wofford <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2016, 12:28 PM
To: Jonathan Beeton <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>>
CC:

Hey,

I didn't interpret it that way. I took it to mean simply that you were among her inner circle, which numbered five at the time. Fairly standard size for an inner circle, imo? Would you be willing to rephrase? Something along the lines of "I was in her inner circle at the time and that never happened"?

On Sun, May 15, 2016 at 10:29 AM, Jonathan Beeton <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

You know when I say the five people thing I'm talking about her senior staff.... -it could be interpreted, incorrectly, that she only had five people who are supportive of her... and that is far from the case. Staff and others who work with/near her feel close to her.

Sent from my Fire

On May 13, 2016, at 3:41 PM, Taylor Wofford <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

What do you think?

On Fri, May 13, 2016 at 10:01 AM, Taylor Wofford <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:
Hey Jonathan,

I went back and listened to my recording again to double-check. Here's the full exchange:

TW: One last question. That Politico story from 2014 mentioned something about her trying to get the DNC to pay for a clothing budget. Was that...did that happen, to your knowledge?

JB: I mean, here...let me go on background on this for a sec...

TW: Sure.

JB: Because I'm gong to start swearing (laughs).

TW: OK.

JB: That story is complete bullshit. There were probably five people who were close to her at that time and I was one of them. That never happened. The whole idea that Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who got to where she was not out of money, not out of political name for herself, but has fought her way up because of her political...um...intuition, would number one ask for a clothing budget from the White House, after that had been a story about Palin, but then again, once being turned down, would ask for it again and ask for it again, is BS.

The point of including this quote is to stress how differently DWS's inner circle see her, as compared to the common media portrayal of her. So I understand y'all's trepidation. A lot of stories about DWS are full of anon quotes from people who don't like her. But I didn't go out of my way to find people to talk trash about DWS. I talked to her primary opponent, and I talked to some people who have political differences with her, but I didn't talk to anybody just so they could say mean things about her.

That said, would you be comfortable having those two sentences I mentioned earlier—"There were probably five people who were close to her at that time and I was one of them. That never happened."—being on the record?

Best,

Taylor

On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 6:02 PM, Jonathan Beeton <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Hey Taylor, I'm connecting through dfw, about to close door on next flight, so likely will be slow to respond.

I thought we were off the record on that part -not background?

Regardless, I don't understand the point of dredging up stuff like this and I feel that my going on the record the way you suggest would just rehash an inaccurate story.

When are you looking at publishing? It's been a while since we talked.

Sent from my Fire

On May 12, 2016, at 1:36 PM, Taylor Wofford <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:

Have a minute to give me a call?

On Thu, May 12, 2016 at 9:56 AM, Taylor Wofford <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:
Today, ideally.

On Thursday, May 12, 2016, Jonathan Beeton <[email-masked]<mailto:[email-masked]>> wrote:
Hey, just seeing this. When is your deadline?

On Wed, May 11, 2016 at 5:28 PM, Taylor Wofford <[email-masked]> wrote:
Hey Jonathan,

I'm nearly done with this DWS piece and I had a question for you. I have a quote from you, on background, about that Politico story that claimed DWS had asked for a clothing budget: "That story is complete bullshit .There were probably five people who were close to her at that time and I was one of them. That never happened."

I was wondering if the second and third sentences there could be on the record, since they don't contain any profanity or anything.

On Mon, Apr 25, 2016 at 3:11 PM, Taylor Wofford <[email-masked]> wrote:
Great, talk then

On Mon, Apr 25, 2016 at 3:10 PM, Jonathan Beeton <[email-masked]> wrote:
Just wrapping up a meeting -5mins?

On Mon, Apr 25, 2016 at 3:09 PM, Taylor Wofford <[email-masked]> wrote:
646 484 7578<tel:646%20484%207578>. Does now work for you?

On Mon, Apr 25, 2016 at 3:05 PM, Jonathan Beeton <[email-masked]> wrote:
I can chat, what's a good number for you?

On Mon, Apr 25, 2016 at 2:06 PM, Taylor Wofford <[email-masked]> wrote:
Hi Jonathan,

Mara Sloan gave me your email address. I'm writing a profile of DWS for Newsweek and was wondering if you have some free time to chat. I'm mostly interested in what she's like a boss, her personality traits, that kind of thing. Let me know if you're interested!
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Taylor Wofford Reporter

Direct: +1 (646) 484 7578<tel:%2B1%20%28646%29%20484%207578>

7 Hanover Square, Fl 5, New York, NY 10004

www.newsweek.com<http://www.newsweek.com>

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Taylor Wofford Reporter

Direct: +1 (646) 484 7578<tel:%2B1%20%28646%29%20484%207578>

7 Hanover Square, Fl 5, New York, NY 10004

www.newsweek.com<http://www.newsweek.com>

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Taylor Wofford Reporter

Direct: +1 (646) 484 7578<tel:%2B1%20%28646%29%20484%207578>

7 Hanover Square, Fl 5, New York, NY 10004

www.newsweek.com<http://www.newsweek.com>

--

Taylor Wofford Reporter

Direct: +1 (646) 484 7578<tel:%2B1%20%28646%29%20484%207578>

7 Hanover Square, Fl 5, New York, NY 10004

www.newsweek.com<http://www.newsweek.com>

--

Taylor Wofford Reporter

Direct: +1 (646) 484 7578<tel:%2B1%20%28646%29%20484%207578>

7 Hanover Square, Fl 5, New York, NY 10004

www.newsweek.com<http://www.newsweek.com>

--

Taylor Wofford Reporter

Direct: +1 (646) 484 7578<tel:%2B1%20%28646%29%20484%207578>

7 Hanover Square, Fl 5, New York, NY 10004

www.newsweek.com<http://www.newsweek.com>

--

Taylor Wofford Reporter

Direct: +1 (646) 484 7578<tel:%2B1%20%28646%29%20484%207578>

7 Hanover Square, Fl 5, New York, NY 10004

www.newsweek.com<http://www.newsweek.com>

--

Taylor Wofford Reporter

Direct: +1 (646) 484 7578<tel:%2B1%20%28646%29%20484%207578>

7 Hanover Square, Fl 5, New York, NY 10004

www.newsweek.com<http://www.newsweek.com>