Good. That's something we can talk about. The approval process.
Yes, as SofS Hillary's office had to okay the U1 sale.
First, the claim is that Hillary didn't involve herself but rather an assistant SofS made the decision in her stead.
We don't even know if that's true but if you accept it then you're suggesting she's either incompetent, uninvolved, or establishing deniability about a serious decision like this one.
Jose Fernandez, the Assistant SofS , said “Secretary Clinton never intervened with me on any CFIUS matter.”
To me it's peculiar that a sitting SofS would disentangle herself from something like this but let's say it's true then we're still left with ...
Fernandez to Podesta - "John, It was good to talk to you this afternoon, and I appreciate your taking the time to call. As I mentioned, I would like to do all I can to support Secretary Clinton, and would welcome your advice and help in steering me to the right persons in the campaign". - WIKILEAKS
and ...
"Hi John, I trust you are getting a brief rest after a job well done. Thanks no doubt to your recommendation I have joined the CAP [Center for American Progress] board of trustees, which I'm finding extremely rewarding." - WIKILEAKS
To continue ...
Yes, State was one of 9 Obama entities that had to approve.
If any one of them vetoed it then Obama would have to decide.
None vetoed it.
But what makes the CFIUS approval of the U1 deal peculiar is that as Senator and as SofS Hillary was a noted CFIUS hawk (e.g. on national security grounds) and worked as "an outspoken proponent of strengthening CFIUS" - the Hillary 2008 campaign.
"We've heard, from numerous administration spokespeople, that those of us who are raising concerns are somehow out of place, because, after all, it was a British
company that was engaged in these activities selling to the Dubai company. For many of us, there is a significant difference between a private company and a foreign government
entity." - Sen. Hillary Clinton in 2006 in a hearing about the CFIUS approval for the UAE purchase of some US ports.
As SofS she continued that policy ... until U1.
So what we're then left to conclude is that Hillary either has no core values, has politically elastic values, or has values that money can buy.
So if I knew all that then Shep could have known that. The question is why didn't he know, or why did he know and not bother to mention it.