A longtime adviser and confidante of Hillary Clinton had “special government status” while the former Secretary of State was at Foggy Bottom, allowing her to work on a targeted project about women’s issues while she maintained her own business, officials told POLITICO.

Maggie Williams, who has been in Hillary Clinton’s orbit for years and who took over her campaign after a shakeup in the 2008 presidential race, was granted “SGE status” to work with the Global Women’s Issues office, officials said.

“Maggie Williams joined the State Department in May 2011 to develop an actionable plan combining communication, policy development and implementation and other dynamic tools and strategies to focus public attention on issues threatening the lives of women and girls,” said a State Department official. “She stayed on to help implement that ambitious plan.”