They’re starting at the wrong end of the Clinton Foundation. Go after Hitlary and Billy Bob first, save a lot of time getting to the top of the manure pile.
FBI Investigation into foreign campaign donations
In 2016, former Gov. of Virginia Terry McAuliffe, a Clinton crony, was under a joint investigation by the FBI and prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section. The investigation centered around Terry McAuliffe’s 2013 campaign and whether he accepted political contributions that were forbidden by federal law.
As part of the probe, investigators have scrutinized McAuliffe’s time as a board member of the charitable foundation set up by former President Bill Clinton: Clinton Global Initiative. The former chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2000 to 2005, and co-chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, speaking to reporters said he was “shocked” by the investigation and that it “has nothing to do with the Clinton Foundation.” He added:
“This was an allegation of a gentleman who gave a check to my campaign,” McAuliffe said. “I didn’t bring the donor in. I didn’t bring him into the Clinton foundation. I’m not sure if I’ve even met the person, to be honest with you.”
Among the McAuliffe donations that drew the interest of the investigators was $120,000 from Chinese businessman Wang Wenliang through his U.S. businesses. Wang was previously delegate to China’s National People’s Congress, the country’s ceremonial legislature. Mr. Wenliang chairs the privately held China Rilin Construction Group, which holds a majority stake in Dadong Port Group, a strategic Chinese port near North Korea. He is also Chairman of the Board Zhongyu Gas Holdings Limited.
U.S. election law prohibits foreign nationals from donating to federal, state or local elections. Penalties for violations include fines and/or imprisonment. It appears that Mr Wang holds a permanent resident status, according to a spokeswoman, which would make him a U.S. person under election law and eligible to donate to McAuliffe’s campaign.
The donation in question revolves around $70,000 for his campaign and $50,000 for his inaugural — from West Legend Corp., a New Jersey construction materials company controlled by Chinese billionaire Wang Wenliang.
As The Intercept explains: The sheer size seems improper. Yet Virginia permits unlimited, direct contributions by both individuals and corporations to candidates for state offices — e.g., governor, the state senate and general assembly.
Virginia is one of six states that allow direct, unlimited contributions by anyone. (The others are Alabama, Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, and Utah.) In other words, for Virginia state elections, the fact that Citizens United made it possible for corporations to spend an unlimited amount in ways uncoordinated with candidates was largely irrelevant. Corporations could already just cut checks directly to candidates for as much as they wanted.
Then there’s the issue of West Legend’s foreign ownership.
According to U.S. law, it’s illegal for a “foreign national” — meaning a foreign individual, corporation, or government — to make any donation in connection with a federal, state, or local election. However, the legal definition of a foreign national specifically excludes any “corporation … organized under or created by the laws of the United States.”
So, since West Legend Corp. is incorporated in the U.S., it’s not a foreign national and can take part in U.S. elections like any other American company. Where Wang’s permanent residency would be legally significant is under Federal Election Commission regulations that forbid any foreign national from engaging in the “decision-making process of any person, such as a corporation,” regarding political expenditures. As long as everyone participating was a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, then Wang and McAuliffe are legally in the clear. FEC advisory opinions also suggest that to be legal, the $120,000 donation must have been generated by business activity in the U.S.
Mr Wang Wenliang also has been a donor to the Clinton foundation, pledging $2 million. He also has been a prolific donor to other causes, including to New York University, Harvard University and environmental issues in Florida.
While the way politicians harvest money from donors is appalling, as of yet, there is no evidence that McAuliffe broke any rules in this particular case.
In 2015, McAuliffe’s political action committee, Common Good Va., returned a $25,000 donation from a company with ties to Angola’s state-owned oil company after The Associated Press raised questions about its legality. Federal law prohibits campaigns at any level from receiving money from outside the U.S.
-—SNIP-—read more and see several financial charts at