Posted on 02/06/2008 7:19:23 PM PST by Wallaby
If Hillary Clinton had been seen with a discredited former autocrat, it would have made front pages across the country. But Bill's Yalta visit went unnoticed outside Ukraine. The trip illustrates the unusual position the former president is in. He is his wife's top political adviser, and Hillary does little to downplay the idea that he would be a notable, if unofficial, presence in her administration. In speeches, she says that she would deploy her husband as a roving ambassador. Yet unlike Hillary, who must report the names of her campaign contributors and how much they give, Bill Clinton is a private citizen and does not have to disclose most details about his charitable and business ventures. His private dealings raise inevitable questions about who might come seeking favors if he and Hillary move back into the White House.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsweek.com ...
In other words, cashing in while it's still legal.
At least Hillary won't have any trouble coming up with another $5M or $10M or $100M for her campaign.
At least Hillary can not get an advance for another book...just in time. Well I think not...they are above the law after all! LOL
Just imagine what Chelsea’s bank account could look like by now.
Hillary is not legally required to provide the full details of her husband's financial arrangement with Yucaipa, claiming on her 2003 and 2004 Senate financial disclosures that Bill's only Yucaipa income is "more than $1,000" in guaranteed payments. She could tell more, but you can bet she won't. According to former Clinton campaign advisor Dick Morris, however, Clinton "stands to clear tens of millions of dollar -- with virtually no risk -- from his Yucaipa work." Off the record, he is also working on a fund that "invests in overseas ventures, for which he receives regular payments and would draw one-third of the profits when the fund is dissolved at least five years from now." In one news report, Burkle estimated that he spends 500 hours per year with the former president -- about 10 hours per week on average -- a very small amount of time for a very large amount of undocumented income. (I know that Yucaipa does business with public pension funds in the State of California. Nice to know that an admitted perjurer can help direct the investment of public pension funds, isn't it?) Why is all of this important? Because Hillary Clinton presumably shares a bank account with her husband and payments to him are, in effect, payments to her as well. And since Hillary Clinton is in a position to vote on legislation that impacts Burkle's massive empire, there is great potential for a conflict of interest. Burkle will no doubt expect something in return for the millions he funnels into the Clintons' bank account -- something more than what amounts to a few hours of Bill Clinton's time each week.
I did not realize that he could make that much and not report the source. Is that still true when (IF) he is first LADDIE? Blind trusts are not required of spouses?
All that money and still build a legacy and Library based on a double-wide? LOL
Must we really face more years of their faces (and worse) on the daily TV news?
Please spare me!
"You do wonder whether this sort of influence game will continue if Sen. Clinton" wins office, said Massie Ritsch, spokesman for the Center for Responsive Politics.INTRIGUE 'FOR MAKE BENEFIT' BUBBA: EYEBROWS RAISED OVER KAZAKH EXCHANGE, by MAGGIE HABERMAN, The New York Post February 1, 2008 FridayRitsch spoke after The New York Times revealed that the former president accompanied wealthy businessman Frank Giustra to Kazakhstan, the Central Asian country that was home of Sasha Baron Cohen's wacky "journalist," Borat.
In that country, Clinton and Giustra had a private supper with President Nursultan Nazarbayev at a time when Giustra was looking for a deal to tap uranium deposits there.
While they were there, Clinton praised Nazarbayev's effort to lead an international, democracy-promoting group that monitors elections - despite opposition to it from the US and Clinton's own wife, the report said.
Giustra, a novice in the uranium business, raised eyebrows in the mining industry when he beat out more experienced rivals for the contract with the state-owned uranium agency Kazatomprom two days after the visit ended.
A few months later, he contributed $31 million to the Clinton Foundation, the paper said....
"Could you imagine if Laura Bush were cutting deals on the side and jetting to foreign countries and contradicting her husband" on foreign policy, said Ritsch, adding that even if it was for a good cause, "people would cry foul."
"If the former president plans to continue raising money for his foundation and library after his wife is elected, he can help put questions to rest [by] being completely open about who's contributing and anything they might have given and anything they might get in return . . . It's a unique situation with great potential for undue influence."
Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause in Washington, said "I think that the fact that Hillary Clinton is running for the presidency exposes Bill Clinton to a number of challenges, and it seems to me. . . that the word 'transparency' has to be repeated every morning in Bill Clinton's mind.
"I don't know whether there's anything illegal about the relationship, but it does give an appearance of concern."
He said Bill Clinton should consider putting the foundation in a blind trust should his wife win.
Thanks!!
and I thought they were already in a blind trust.....
also, it is very disturbing and frightening to know the media will not touch this story with any seriousness.
To Avoid Conflicts, Clintons Liquidate Holdings
The New York Times spun this move as one designed to prevent conflicts of interest!
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