Bill Clinton: The scandalous Clinton Foundation might need some reform if Hillary wins

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Hot Air:

Just like any suspect philanthropic organization, the Clinton Foundation does do some good work. The Foundation’s labors in Haiti and the Dominican Republic are credited with mitigating a humanitarian disaster, but the Foundation’s ethical lapses and suspect funding sources – all of which are closely linked to an individual vying to lead the free world – should not be minimized by this organization’s altruistic intentions or noble accomplishments.

 

The Clinton Foundation has taken donations from unsavory sources like Saudi Arabia and Brunei. The Foundation allegedly also took donations from Algeria while Hillary Clinton served as Secretary of State in violation of an ethics agreement the Foundation signed with members of Barack Obama’s administration. After Clinton left the state department, a Chinese construction firm, with what was reported to be close ties to the communist government in Beijing and a suspect safety violations record both in the People’s Republic and in the United Sates, heaped contributions on the foundation.

 

“Multiple sources familiar with Clinton’s funding say the special federal money has supplemented the salaries of some [Foundation] employees,” Politico reported last month. While Clinton was acting as America’s chief diplomat, The New York Times described her as “one of the most aggressive global cheerleaders” for American companies like General Electric, Microsoft, Boeing, and Exxon Mobile. Maybe it was just a coincidence that these firms were also prolific contributors to the Clinton Foundation. Progressive social justice advocates will be disappointed to learn that the Clinton Foundation’s male executives were handsomely paid in comparison to their female counterparts. “Of the top eleven positions in the foundation, women only have three — and they’re #9, #10, and #11,” Ed noted in March.

 

“At the outset, the Clinton Foundation did indeed publish what they said was a complete list of the names of more than 200,000 donors and has continued to update it,” Reuters reported last month. “But in a breach of the pledge, the charity’s flagship health program, which spends more than all of the other foundation initiatives put together, stopped making the annual disclosure in 2010, Reuters has found.”

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Bill Clinton: "About our donors, honey..."

[Valin]

Report: Hillary changed stance on trade deal after donations to Clinton Foundation

Paul Mirengoff

April 9, 2015

 

(Snip)

I agree. In the long run, however, scandals associated with the Clinton Foundation may take an even greater toll by providing a stream of harmful stories indicative of corruption relating to substantive policy (and consistent, of course, with Clinton’s desire to keep officials emails from ever seeing the light of day).

 

Here’s an example. The Hill reports on allegations in the International Business Times (IBT) that, as Secretary of State, Clinton turned a blind eye to substantial allegations of human rights violation in Colombia committed against workers at an oil company owned by a major Clinton Foundation donor. Notwithstanding these allegations, which were similar to ones that had led candidate Hillary Clinton to oppose a trade deal with Colombia, Clinton’s State Department touted Colombia’s human rights record and back the trade agreement, says the IBT.

 

The oil company in question, Pacific Rubiales, was founded by Frank Giustra, who is described as a “friend and traveling companion” of former President Clinton. Giustra has donated more than $130 million to Clinton’s philanthropies. He’s also a Clinton Foundation board member and has participated in projects and benefits for the Foundation.

 

“A friend and traveling companion” of Bill Clinton? There could be more than one scandal here.

 

(Snip)