I don’t actually know anything about this case, but the State Department’s answer is laughably inadequate:

Question: Environmental organization Friends of the Earth has issued a press release regarding Secretary Clinton’s former presidential campaign manager who is now an oil industry lobbyist. Does the Secretary’s past association with lobbyist Paul Elliot present a conflict of interests with regard to approval of the Keystone XL pipeline?

Answer: No. The Department is considering this permit application on its merits. The Department is not, and will not, be influenced by prior relationships that current government officials have had.

Oh, this pipeline. Anyway, one of the benefits of hiring officials’ old campaign managers is they know to expect intelligence-insulting rote answers like this to the press after the hiring is done.