Hacked Email: Tim Cook, Bill Gates Suggested As Clinton VP Choices
CUPERTINO (CBS SF) – Hillary Clinton's campaign expressed interest in Apple CEO Tim Cook and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates as potential choices for vice president, according to a stolen email posted by WikiLeaks.
The email was purportedly written by Clinton campaign chair John Podesta in March. It shows a list of 39 names that Podesta, campaign vice chairwoman Huma Abedin and other staffers considered as a "first cut" of potential vice presidential picks.
While most of the names listed are politicians, Cook and Gates were grouped among other business leaders including General Motors CEO Mary Barra and Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. Michael Bloomberg, a longtime business leader and former New York City mayor, was also on the list.
Melinda Gates, who co-chairs the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation, was also listed as a potential running mate.
Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was running against Clinton for the Democratic nomination at the time, was listed at the very end of the email.
Other Democratic Party notables on the list include Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Housing Secretary Julian Castro and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Clinton selected Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia to be her running mate ahead of the Democratic National Convention in July.
The full list of potential picks:
Javier Becerra
Julian Castro
Eric Garcetti
Tom Perez
Ken Salazar
Tammy Baldwin
Kirsten Gillibrand
Amy Klobuchar
Claire McKaskill
Jeanne Shaheen
Debbie Stabenow
Elizabeth Warren
Michael Bennet
Sherrod Brown
Martin Heinreich
Tim Kaine
Terry McAuliffe
Chris Murphy
Tom Vilsack
Steve Benjamin
Corey Booker
Andrew Gillum
Eric Holder
Deval Patrick
Kasim Reed
Anthony Foxx
John Allen
Bill McCraven
Mike Mullen
Mary Barra
Michael Bloomberg
Ursula Burns
Tim Cook
Bill Gates
Melinda Gates
Muhtar Kent
Judith Rodin
Howard Schultz
Bernie Sanders