Letter: IOP Shouldn't Let Maggie Williams Double Dip

Dear Dean Elmendorf,

As Harvard alumni, we are concerned by Maggie Williams, former Chief of Staff to First Lady Hillary Clinton and campaign manager for Mrs. Clinton’s 2008 Presidential run, keeping her ongoing role official role as Director of the Harvard Institute of Politics while she helps to lead and organize Mrs. Clinton's transition team. Although she has taken unpaid leave for this purpose, this conflict of interest is troubling to us.

We know the Kennedy School of Government places great value on the real diversity of ideas stemming from a bipartisan and independent learning environment. We all benefit when Harvard's Institute of Politics is viewed as a premier forum for everyone. When Ms. Williams was hired, the Kennedy School leaders made clear that she was finished with partisan politics and would work with both sides of political aisle. Her desire now to go back in to the political fight forces us to therefore call for her immediate resignation and for you to appoint a new director with deference to all political views.

Without this clean break, the Institute of Politics’ will forfeit a truly independent and free discussion for this fall’s spirited U.S. Presidential debate between Ms. Williams’ boss and Donald J. Trump.

Sincerely,

Sean P. David, MD, SM, DPhil, Harvard School of Public Health, Class of 1999
Richard Grenell, MPA, Kennedy School of Government, Class of 1998
Michael Paul Beltran, Esq., JD, Harvard Law School, Class of 2008
Jordan Broggi, MBA, Harvard Business School, Class of 2008
Victoria Ianni Garcia, MPP, Kennedy School of Government, Class of 2009
John C. Hendricks, AB, Harvard College, Class of 1979
Morgan Muchnick, MPP, Kennedy School of Government, Class of 2001
Ann Trevor, MPA, Kennedy School of Government, Class of 1988
Joanne Sadler Butler, MPA, Kennedy School of Government, Class of 1991
Alex Prado, MPP, Kennedy School of Government, Class of 2010
Abigail Thernstrom, PhD, Department of Government, 1975
Stephen Thernstrom, PhD, Emeritus Professor of History, Department of History, 1962
Les Austin, MBA, Harvard Business School, Class of 1972
Philip D. Powell, AB, PhD, Harvard College, Class of 2006
Lisa Duperier, MPA, Kennedy School of Government, Class of 1992