Labor Nominee Took Ex-Client on Trade Trip
President Clinton’s nominee for Labor secretary headed a trade mission last spring that included a former client whose consulting firm paid $50,000 to $100,000 for her business two years earlier, the White House acknowledged Thursday.
The former client of Alexis M. Herman also contributed $50,000 to the Democratic National Committee last November, seven months after the trade mission to Mexico, White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. March 15, 1997 Report on Labor Nominee Contained Errors Associated Press
Los Angeles Times Saturday March 15, 1997 Home Edition Part A Page 14 National Desk 3 inches; 94 words Type of Material: Correction; Wire
WASHINGTON--The Associated Press erroneously reported that Caryliss Weaver, who participated in a trade mission headed by Alexis M. Herman, had been a client of Herman’s diversity consulting firm before Herman joined the White House staff.
Weaver’s sister, Vanessa, purchased Herman’s consulting firm in 1994. The AP also erroneously reported that Caryliss Weaver had contributed $50,000 to the Democratic National Committee. Caryliss and Vanessa Weaver contributed $25,000 each to the DNC.
The Times ran the AP story in Friday editions.
The Senate Labor and Education Committee is scheduled to begin confirmation hearings Tuesday on Herman’s nomination as Labor secretary.
Herman was head of Clinton’s White House public liaison office when she led the Commerce Department delegation of women entrepreneurs on the Mexico trade mission last April.
Of the 30 to 40 women who participated in two such missions, only three have made contributions to the DNC, Lockhart said. Among them was Caryliss Weaver, vice president of a consulting firm her sister owns. The Weavers’ firm purchased Herman’s diversity consulting business when Herman joined Clinton’s staff.
Business Week magazine first revealed the connection in its edition to be published today.
The Senate Labor and Education Committee is scheduled to begin confirmation hearings on Herman’s nomination on Tuesday.
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