BUCK-RAKING BUBBA: Clinton: The $9.2M Man

NY Daily News ^ | 6/15/02 | TIMOTHY J. BURGER and THOMAS M. DeFRANK

[Liz]

Bill tops his pedecessors on the big-bucks talk circuit

Buck-raking like no former President in history, Bill Clinton earned $9.2 million on the lecture circuit last year, most of it from overseas audiences, financial statements revealed yesterday.

But well-placed Clinton sources told The Daily News that Sen. Hillary Clinton's 2001 financial disclosure form, made public yesterday, understates by several hundred thousand dollars the family's unpaid legal debt. Her aides insisted the form is accurate.

The 12-page filing discloses that her husband delivered one paid speech every six days on average last year, or roughly $156,000 per lecture.

He even hauled in $500,000 in a single day at opposite ends of the Earth, using the International Date Line to make $250,000 speeches in New York and Hong Kong in May 2001.

A single talk in Milan in October netted Clinton $350,000, nearly double his $200,000 salary as President. His speech to the London School of Economics, on the other hand, was a bargain at a mere $28,100.

In Demand

The ex-President was a huge draw overseas. He gave 38 speeches in 19 countries for $6.6 million, more than two-thirds of his entire take.

"Former President Clinton is the most popular and most requested speaker on the lecture circuit today, both here and abroad," said his spokeswoman, Julia Payne. "If it were humanly possible, we could book him every day for the next two or three years."

The documents list a $2.8 million payment to Hillary Clinton as part of a reported $8 million advance for her memoirs. A seven-figure payment for Bill Clinton's memoir was listed as "more than $1,000." Clinton sources said the actual amount wasn't required to be disclosed under Senate rules.

The family certainly doesn't have to worry about milk money. A joint deposit account at Citibank contained between $5 million and $25 million at the end of last year. Clinton sources said the account is used to pay estimated taxes, some staff salaries, contributions to charity and monthly expenses. The account earned between $100,000 and $1 million in interest.

Despite their windfall profits, the Clintons haven't retired their scandal-related legal bills, owing more than $3 million to their lawyers, sources told The News.

Past Due

The documents say the Clintons owed their lawyers between $1.8 million and $6.5 million at the end of last year, including $500,000 to $1 million to the firm that defended the former President in the Paula Jones sex harassment suit. But Clinton sources said the sum still owed for the Jones case as of Dec. 31 was several hundred thousand dollars more than $1 million.

The family's assets also include the blind investment trust established during the White House years. Valued at between $1 million and $5 million, it lost money last year — as did millions of stockholders.

Clinton is hardly the first ex-President to cash in after leaving the White House. In 1989, Ronald Reagan earned $2 million for making two short speeches in Japan. In 1998, George Bush made a huge score when he was paid in stock for a speech to Global Crossing.

But sources close to several former Presidents said Clinton's gainful globetrotting far exceeds that of his predecessors.

"He's cashing in at a Clintonian scale," said Gary Ruskin of Ralph Nader's Congressional Accountability Project.

Clinton aides pointed out that the ex-President made some free speeches and donated his time to raise money for a variety of charitable causes.

The former First Family reportedly paid more than $1.3 million in legal fees "for themselves and former staff members."

Sources said the Clintons now make monthly payments of their legal bills to the Williams & Connolly law firm, which represented the ex-President in the impeachment battle and other scandal investigations.

They also reported giving $800,000 to a foundation they set up for charitable giving.

[Liz]

Well, I admit I might pay a buck to hear Bubba say, " I was the crookest president in history and connived and cheated every which way I could in order to advance my own interests and those of my wife, at the expense of the American people."

[dansangel]

"The ex-President was a huge draw overseas. He gave 38 speeches in 19 countries for $6.6 million, more than two-thirds of his entire take."

Precisely one of the main reasons I have been steadily losing my respect for the Europeans. They consider themselves so "haute-couture" compared to us lowly Americans, yet they embrace the the words and deeds of a filthy, anti-military, anti-family philanderer.

[Feckless]

Well, what's a scumBubba to do for a living now that he doesn't have access to military secrets?

[jrlc]

The more money he makes, expect even more guilt-ridden liberal "cry for the poor" crap while he continues to pocket the dough. But don't worry, bimbos are lining up to take their best shot at what still remains an X42 target rich environment.

[Liz]

...what's a scumBubba to do for a living now that he doesn't have access to military secrets?.....

Yeah, {{{sniff}}} what a shame {{barf}}. Bubba raked in a bundle selling out our national security.

[Piquaboy]

Does anyone think that this cheap p@#$k will pay any of the bills he owes or wait for the taxpayers to pick them up?

[mewzilla]

A very good question and one that has been much on my mind :)

But what I also want to know, especially in light of Hilliary's recent comments on her desire to redistribute wealth, is how much of this is going to the TAXMAN?

Come one, Toons. Put up or shut up time. How much are you paying in taxes...Inquiring minds want to know....

[afz400]

Somehow I find it hard to believe that he is actually being paid this money. I suspect that this is all part of a scheme that he is using to launder money that he took in the form of bribes over the years to make it seem to be a legitimate source of income. I sure wish the IRS would audit the Clintons just like he did to so many others.

[always vigilant]

The Europeeons have a great disdain towards the US. No wonder they flock to x42 like stink on $hit. Clintoon and the demo’s believe in American and what is stands for as much as the europukes.

Cheers!!

[Registered]

Yep, more evidence that there's a sucker born every minute.

[hole_n_one]

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Someone was on a roll.

[Liz]

Somehow I find it hard to believe that he is actually being paid this money. I suspect that this is all part of a scheme that he is using to launder money that he took in the form of bribes over the years to make it seem to be a legitimate source of income. I sure wish the IRS would audit the Clintons just like he did to so many others.

Thank you for that. I postulated this theory weeks ago. A perfect way to launder Clinton dirty money is to say he
got $350 thou for a speech when he received much, much less. And don't forget money laundering is tax evasion.

[Liz]

...more evidence that there's a sucker born every minute.....

And they're all in the Democrat party......

[Wild Irish Rogue]

The "unpaid" legal bills, are an excuse for Bubba to continue to buck rake and also a reminder,of those mean Republicans. I bet the bills will remain "unpaid" for years, so the Clinton's can continue to use them as their shield. If the law firms don't immediately sue for their payment,in light of the Clinton windfall- I will be suspicious that the bills have not been repaid or comped,long ago.