Facebook Founder Seeks Political Advice From Clinton Campaign Chief - Wikileaks

Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of the social media website Facebook, sought a meeting with top Hillary Clinton aide John Podesta for advice on Zuckerberg’s future political plans, an email published by Wikileaks revealed on Wednesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Podesta now serves as chairman of the Clinton presidential campaign.

“He’s [Zuckerberg] begun to think about whether/how he might want to shape advocacy efforts to support his philanthropic priorities and is particularly interested in meeting people who could help him understand how to move the needle on the specific public policy issues he cares most about,” Facebook executive Sheryl Sandberg wrote to Podesta in an August 2015 message.

The email described Zuckerberg’s objective as learning about “effective political operations to advance public policy goals on social oriented objectives (like immigration, education or basic scientific research.)”

Podesta agreed to meet Zuckerberg during an upcoming trip to the “Bay Area,” which surrounds the US city of San Francisco.

If timing did not work out, Podesta said he would definitely meet with Zuckerberg on a future trip to the region.

The leaked emails have become fodder for Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, who accuses Clinton of being controlled by liberal special interests, which often back open borders and free trade.

Earlier this year, former Facebook employees accused the social media outlet of suppressing conservative news from its trending section.

Unlike in past US presidential campaigns that focused on candidates, charges of media bias have become a major issue and a source of Trump’s criticism that the outcome of the November election is rigged.