By Michael C. Short
Folks – Bill Clinton is another reminder of the conflicts of interest and ethical lapses that have tarnished Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State. If you're covering his campaign stops in New Hampshire, please see the below comment and blog post from the Republican National Committee:
"With new reports about conflicts of interest and favoritism toward donors at the Clinton State Department, the deployment of Bill Clinton to the campaign trail only reinforces the fact the Clintons are untrustworthy and have used public service to enrich themselves and reward their friends. Our country faces too many challenges at home and abroad to have a White House where ethical lapses and fundraising scandals become global in scale." – RNC spokesman Michael Short
Today Bill Clinton Is Starting Off 2016 By Campaigning For Hillary In New Hampshire
Today, Bill Clinton Is On The Campaign Trail For Hillary Clinton In New Hampshire. "The Granite State's first-in-the-nation presidential primary is in the home stretch and due to intensify today with former President Bill Clinton stumping for his wife, Democratic front-runner Hillary, in Nashua and Exeter, N.H." (Kimberly Atkins, "Bill Clinton Lands In N.H. Fray Today," The Boston Herald, 1/4/16)
BILL CLINTON'S PAID SPEECHES HAVE RAISED QUESTIONS OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST WHILE HILLARY WAS SECRETARY OF STATE
Bill Clinton Joins The Campaign Trail As Ethical Red Flags Were Raised In A New Report On Conflicts Of Interests With His Paid Speeches While Hillary Was Secretary Of State
Bill Clinton Was Paid $8 Million For Speeches Given To Companies, Groups And A Foreign Government "Around The Time They Also Had Matters Before Mrs. Clinton's State Department." "At Hillary Clinton's confirmation hearing for secretary of state, she promised she would take 'extraordinary steps…to avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest.' Later, more than two dozen companies and groups and one foreign government paid former President Bill Clinton a total of more than $8 million to give speeches around the time they also had matters before Mrs. Clinton's State Department, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis." (James Grimaldi And Rebecca Ballhaus, "Speaking Fees Meet Politics For Clintons," The Wall Street Journal, 12/30/15)
- Fifteen Of These Companies Also Donated Between $5 And $15 Million To The Clinton Foundation. "Fifteen of them also donated a total of between $5 million and $15 million to the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation, the family's charity, according to foundation disclosures." (James Grimaldi And Rebecca Ballhaus, "Speaking Fees Meet Politics For Clintons," The Wall Street Journal, 12/30/15)
Several Times Those Who Paid Bill Clinton In Speaking Fees Benefitted From The Actions Of The State Department. "In several instances, State Department actions benefited those that paid Mr. Clinton. The Journal found no evidence that speaking fees were paid to the former president in exchange for any action by Mrs. Clinton, now the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination." (James Grimaldi And Rebecca Ballhaus, "Speaking Fees Meet Politics For Clintons," The Wall Street Journal, 12/30/15)
Bill Clinton Has Refused To Say He Will Stop Doing Paid Speeches If His Wife Becomes President, Claiming "I Gotta Pay Our Bills."
Bill Clinton Has Not Made Clear "Whether He Would Abandon The Paid-Speaking Circuit If His Wife Becomes President." "Mr. Clinton has given mixed signals about whether he would abandon the paid-speaking circuit if his wife becomes president. Asked by NBC in May if he would remain on the speech circuit while his wife was running for president, Mr. Clinton responded, 'Oh, yeah. I gotta pay our bills.' In June, Bloomberg TV asked Mr. Clinton if he would still give paid speeches if Mrs. Clinton gained the White House. 'I don't think so,' he replied, saying he didn't want to make news that detracted from the presidency. Then he added: 'I will still give speeches, though, on the subjects I'm interested in.' A spokesman for Mr. Clinton, asked to clarify, pointed to the former president's previous statements." (James Grimaldi And Rebecca Ballhaus, "Speaking Fees Meet Politics For Clintons," The Wall Street Journal, 12/30/15)
In May 2015, Bill Clinton Said He Will Continue To Give Paid Speeches, Saying, "I Gotta Pay Our Bills."MCFADDEN: "Regular working Americans look and say '$500,000 for a speech'?" CLINTON: "Why shouldn't every -- It's the most independence I can get. It's -- I don't -- If I had a business relationship with somebody, they would have a target on their back from the day they did business with me until the end. Any kind of disclosure is a target. But it looks bad, there's no facts, of course, but it looks bad. Me, I work hard on this. I spend a couple hours a day just doing the research. People like to hear me speak. And I have turned down a lot of them. If I think there's something wrong with it, I don't take it. And I do disclose who gave them to me. So people can make up their own minds." MCFADDEN: "So she's now running for President. Will you continue to give speeches? CLINTON: "Oh, yeah. I gotta pay our bills." (NBC "Today," 5/4/15)
In June 2015, Bill Clinton Said, "No, I Don't Think So, I Don't Think That" When Bloomberg's Betty Liu Asked About Whether Or Not He Will Still Give Paid Speeches If Hillary Clinton Wins In 2016. LIU: "Will You Still Give Paid Speeches, If Your Wife Was In The White House" CLINTON: "No, I Don't Think So, I Don't Think That, Because Once You Get To Be President Then You Are Just Making A Daily Story, I Will Still Give Speeches Though On The Subjects I'm Interested In, I've Really Enjoyed Those Things." (Bill Clinton, Interview With Bloomberg's Betty Liu, 6/10/15) Minute: 20:08 – 20:32
THIS ISN'T THE FIRST TIME THE CLINTONS HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF CONFLICTS OF INTEREST WHILE HILLARY WAS SECRETARY OF STATE
The Clinton Foundation Failed To Disclose That They Accepted Donations From Foreign Governments While Clinton Was At The State Department
Reuters Headline: "Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton Promise, Charity Did Not Disclose Donors"(Jonathan Allen, "Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton Promise, Charity Did Not Disclose Donors," Reuters, 3/19/15)
"She Made A Pledge To Publish All The Donors On An Annual Basis To Ease Concerns That As Secretary Of State She Could Be Vulnerable To Accusations Of Foreign Influence." (Jonathan Allen, "Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton Promise, Charity Did Not Disclose Donors," Reuters, 3/19/15)
The Failure To Disclose These Donors Raised Questions Of Whether Foreign Government Donations Were Screened By The State Department, Per Another Assurance Hillary Clinton Made To The Obama Administration. "The Reuters inquiries also raised questions about a second assurance Hillary Clinton made to the Obama administration: that the State Department would be able to review any new or increased contributions to CHAI by foreign governments while she served as the nation's top diplomat. The Clintons said the pledge was intended to defuse accusations that foreign governments might use such donations to earn favors." (Jonathan Allen, "Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton Promise, Charity Did Not Disclose Donors," Reuters, 3/19/15)
The Clinton Foundation "Has Given Contributors Entree, Outside The Traditional Political Arena, To A Possible President." "The financial success of the foundation, which funds charitable work around the world, underscores the highly unusual nature of another Clinton candidacy. The organization has given contributors entree, outside the traditional political arena, to a possible president. Foreign donors and countries that are likely to have interests before a potential Clinton administration — and yet are ineligible to give to U.S. political campaigns — have affirmed their support for the family's work through the charitable giving." (Rosalind S. Helderman, Tom Hamburger and Steven Rich, "Clintons' Foundation Has Raised Nearly $2 Billion — And Some Key Questions," The Washington Post, 2/18/15)
- The Washington Post's Review Of The Foundation's Seven Biggest Donors Found "That There Is Strong Overlap Between The Family's Political Base And The Foundation," And that A Substantial Number Of Its Donors Are Based Outside Of The U.S. "The review found that there is strong overlap between the family's political base and the foundation and that a substantial number of the foundation's largest donors — those who have given at least $1 million — are based outside of the United States. Financial institutions also make up the largest portion of the foundation's corporate giving." (Rosalind S. Helderman, "Here Are The Seven Biggest Donors To The Bill, Hillary And Chelsea Clinton Foundation," The Washington Post, 2/19/15)
MAJOR CONTRIBUTIONS FROM CORPORATIONS TO THE CLINTON FOUNDATION ALSO LANDED THE CLINTON'S IN ETHICAL HOT WATER
Companies Who Lobbied The State Department Donated Heavily To The Clinton Foundation
The Wall Street Journal Headline: "Hillary Clinton's Complex Corporate Ties" (James V. Grimaldi and Rebecca Ballhaus, "Hillary Clinton's Complex Corporate Ties,"The Wall Street Journal, 2/19/15)
As Secretary Of State Clinton "Was One Of The Most Aggressive Global Cheerleaders For American Companies…" "Among recent secretaries of state, Hillary Clinton was one of the most aggressive global cheerleaders for American companies, pushing governments to sign deals and change policies to the advantage of corporate giants such as General Electric Co. , Exxon Mobil Corp. , Microsoft Corp. and Boeing Co." (James V. Grimaldi and Rebecca Ballhaus, "Hillary Clinton's Complex Corporate Ties," The Wall Street Journal, 2/19/15)
- "At The Same Time, Those Companies Were Among The Many That Gave To The Clinton Family's Global Foundation…" "At the same time, those companies were among the many that gave to the Clinton family's global foundation set up by her husband, former President Bill Clinton." (James V. Grimaldi and Rebecca Ballhaus, "Hillary Clinton's Complex Corporate Ties," The Wall Street Journal, 2/19/15)
"At Least 60 Companies That Lobbied The State Department During Her Tenure Donated A Total Of More Than $26 Million To The Clinton Foundation…" "At least 60 companies that lobbied the State Department during her tenure donated a total of more than $26 million to the Clinton Foundation, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of public and foundation disclosures." (James V. Grimaldi and Rebecca Ballhaus, "Hillary Clinton's Complex Corporate Ties," The Wall Street Journal, 2/19/15)
