This is the extraordinary moment that Hillary Clinton’s security staff got into an argument with a traffic warden after he issued her car with a parking ticket.
The Westminster City Council warden put an £80 penalty notice on the former US secretary of state’s silver Mercedes vehicle in Central London while she was attending an event at Chatham House.
The row was caught on camera on Saturday by photographer Greg Brennan, who said five of her guards were waiting inside a Mercedes van next to her car at the time because it was raining.
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| Argument: Hillary Clinton’s security staff get into a row with a traffic warden whilst waiting for her in London |
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| The Westminster City Council warden put a penalty notice on the silver Mercedes car (centre) |
She had earlier arrived in a motorcade of five cars with around 10 security agents, Mr Brennan told MailOnline. Her car was parked in a bay on St James’s Square in Mayfair, which costs £3.30 per hour.
The warden then arrived and put a ticket on the car which had transported 65-year-old Mrs Clinton to the event, prompting her security detail to jump out of the van in protest, Mr Brennan said.
The photographer claimed he saw one of the agents angrily waving his arms and flashing his badge to the warden, who remained unflustered and continued to issue the ticket to Mrs Clinton’s vehicle.
Cllr Daniel Astaire, Westminster City Council cabinet member for business, told MailOnline: ‘Despite our traffic marshal being questioned by the secret service for just doing his job, he was in the right.
‘The former US Secretary of State was parked for nearly 45 minutes without paying. I’m sure she will understand that we have to be fair to everyone, regardless of their status on the world stage.
‘For future reference, Mrs Clinton can now also download a parking app for her iPhone which will tell her in real time where a parking space is in the City of Westminster.’
The parking ticket came with an £80 fine – but would only be £40 if paid within 14 days. The fine has not yet been paid – but an appeal could be launched at any date before October 25.
A spokesman for Mrs Clinton has not yet responded to a comment request, and nobody at the US Embassy press office could be reached when multiple attempts were made today.
Federal law requires the Secret Service to watch over former presidents and their spouses – and Mrs Clinton’s senior staff included up to eight senior state department or National Security Council officials while she was secretary of state.
The politician – the wife of ex-president Bill, 67, and mother of Chelsea, 33 – was at Chatham House to collect a prize for her contribution to international diplomacy. She and her husband have an estimated net worth of £35million.
She spoke at the event to a newspaper, calling for a ‘sensible adult conversation’ about the boundaries of state surveillance after the leaking of files by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Mrs Clinton said it would be ‘going down a wrong path’ to reject a debate following disclosures about the collection of communications data by GCHQ and America’s National Security Agency.
She is currently considering whether to make her second challenge for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016.
Mrs Clinton got the prize for her ‘significant and impressive contribution to international diplomacy’ and ‘her work on behalf of gender equality and opportunities for women and girls’.
– Daily Mail
