Storm gathers around Clinton finances

The Hill ^ | April 21, 2015 | Niall Stanage with Jordan Fabian

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The financial portfolio of Hillary Clinton, her family and the Clinton Foundation is under new scrutiny, worrying some Democrats, as the former secretary of State begins her 2016 campaign.

The New York Times fired the starting pistol on another round of stories about the Clinton finances with a story on Monday morning describing a forthcoming book, Clinton Cash, by Peter Schweizer, a fellow at Stanford University’s conservative Hoover Institution.

The Times called the tome “the most anticipated and feared book of a presidential cycle still in its infancy.”

The book’s allegations were summed up in the author’s own words: “We will see a pattern of financial transactions involving the Clintons that occurred contemporaneous with favorable U.S. policy decisions benefitting those providing the funds.”

Allies to the newly announced Democratic presidential hopeful immediately pushed back on the book, but that has not settled nerves within the party.

“Where the unease comes from is that it’s going to be one of those things that the right keeps hammering them on,” one Democratic consultant who wished to remain anonymous said, referring to donations to the Clinton Foundation. “It is one of the things that they are going to have to address sooner or later — preferably sooner.”

The consultant, who is not affiliated with any of the politicians likely to challenge Clinton for the nomination, stressed that there was no evidence the foundation had engaged in shady practices.

The worry, instead, was that the former first lady would get distracted from her preferred subjects by having to respond to the allegations, only weeks after she was in the eye of a storm about her use of a private email server while secretary of State.

The sheer sums of money involved seem sure to garner significant attention.

According to the Times’ account, the book includes details of $1 million in payments to former President Clinton by a Canadian bank and major shareholder in the Keystone XL oil sands pipeline project, around the time that Keystone was under discussion at the State Department. The book also notes that the biggest payments for speeches delivered by the former president came during his wife’s tenure at Foggy Bottom.

“Of the 13 Clinton speeches that fetched $500,000 or more, only two occurred during the years his wife was not secretary of State,” the book reportedly states.

This is not the first time that Clinton’s finances have pushed her off message. Last year, the publicity drive for her memoir Hard Choices became a damage-limitation exercise, after she said she and her husband were “dead broke” when they left the White House in early 2001.

Independent observers also warned about the new allegations’ capacity to divert the campaign.

“I think it is potentially problematic,” said Matthew Dickinson, a political science professor at Middlebury College who has written about wealth and the presidency. “The problems that Hillary has had in the past, dating back to Whitewater, were similar accusations of using her position for personal gain. … Even if there is only smoke and no fire, it still takes a lot to clear the smoke. She is going to have to spend time talking about this.”

That happened later on Monday, when Clinton briefly addressed the topic during a campaign visit to New Hampshire.

“It’s worth noting that Republicans seem to only be talking about me,” she said during a visit to a maker of educational furniture in Keene, N.H. “I don’t know what they’d talk about if I weren’t in the race.”

She went on to say that “distractions and attacks” were an inevitable part of political campaigning, adding, “I’m ready for that.”

Correct the Record, a group whose remit revolves around defending Clinton from media criticisms, released a statement calling the impending release “a work of fiction … a political hatchet job masquerading as a book.”

The group went on to note Schweizer’s background as a speechwriting consultant to President George W. Bush, as well as a foreign policy adviser to 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin.

But it is far from clear that the counterattack will nip the story in the bud. The New York Times report stated Schweizer “writes mainly in the voice of a neutral journalist and meticulously documents his sources … while leaving little doubt about his view of the Clintons.”

The story also indicated several other news organization, including The Washington Post, Fox News and the Times had deals with the author to report out some of the details in the book, which is not set to be published until May 5.

The White House, meanwhile, sought to tamp down the story, with press secretary Josh Earnest asserting that the Clinton Foundation was “doing excellent work all across the world” and that President Obama was “incredibly proud” of Hillary Clinton’s record at the State Department.

The press secretary noted that, when it comes to suggestions of malfeasance, there had been “a lot of allegations made about this but not a lot of evidence.”

Conservatives seized on the final part of that remark to suggest Earnest was admitting there was some evidence. That might not have been his intended meaning, but the intense parsing of his words was just one more sign that the controversy looks likely to gather steam.

Republican strategists insisted to The Hill that the matter of foreign donations to the Clinton Foundation, and the Clintons’ wealth more broadly, was a serious problem for a candidate who has been trying to cast herself as a champion of “everyday Americans.”

“The more information comes out, like in this book, about how much the Clintons are making by benefitting from their public service, the more it drives a wedge between Hillary Clinton and the middle-class voters she is trying to appeal to,” said Ron Bonjean, a Republican strategist and former Capitol Hill aide.

“This gets to the heart of the problem with both the Clintons, and not just for conservatives or Republicans — Democrats have shared the same concern with me as well,” said conservative consultant Keith Appell. “They’ve just paid lip service to the left while lining their pockets and getting filthy rich off the seedy side of Washington.”

But the Democratic consultant who had expressed concern about the new allegations also took a wry view of GOP attacks on a candidate on the basis of her wealth.

“I’m pretty sure that there aren’t many of the Republican candidates who I would consider paupers,” the consultant said.

[elhombrelibre]

I can't post this one on FReeREpublic, but it's also a blood boiling editiorial.

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/042015-748736-hillary-clinton-must-answer-for-libya.htm

[Liz]

THIS JUST IN---Judge Gladys Kessler of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ordered the State Department to produce passenger manifests from 47 overseas trips that Mrs. Clinton made as secretary of state. Citizens United requested the manifests last July through a Freedom of Information Act Request.

There seems to be a solid connection between:

(1) donors to the Clinton Foundation,

(2) companies receiving contracts from foreign countries, and,

(3) Clinton Foundation donors receiving favorable treatment from the State Dept.

<><> Sixty companies contributed $26 million to the Clinton Foundation.

<><> Forty four of those companies also contributed to a $3.2 billion dollar fund established at the Clinton Global Initiative (a wing of the foundation).

<><> At least 25 companies made contributions to fifteen private/public partnerships set up by ex-Pres Clinton;

And who administered all of them?.......the State Department w/ Hillary at the helm.

===========================================

Congress needs to launch multiple investigations into Hillary’s State Dept tenure including that of her confidantes:

<><> expense accounts,

<><> use of federal credit cards,

<><> their participation in the State Dept's disbursement of funds to "private contractors;"

<><>her possible collusion with the Clinton Foundation--using classified info as an instrument for fund-raising.

Hillary's official calendar, and her contact with foreign leaders. will tell the tale of donations to the foundation....and the Clintons profiteering off secret intel.

=================================================

The Buckraking Clintons sucking up foreign donations is morally reprehensible----but the real crimes are what exactly they are doing with the corporate/foreign monies once its in their Foundation's tax-exempt coffers.

It's becoming clearer why Bill Clinton used a shocking 21 phone nos and email addresses----because L/E knows multiple phone no's and emails is an indication of possible money-laundering and tax evasion.

[Timber Rattler]

Schweizer can’t be so easily poo-poo’ed. He’a serious reporter and writer who has some real cred in the MSM.

[Liz]

GRAPHIC CREDIT---NY POST

NYP EXCERPT: Hillary Rodham Clinton used her clout as secretary of state to do favors for foreign donors who gave millions to her family foundation — and who paid millions more to her husband, Bill, in speaking fees, a new book charges.

Records show that of the $105 million the former president raked in from speeches over 12 years, about half came during his wife’s four-year tenure at the State Department.

The claims in “Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Businesses Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich” come just a week after she launched her presidential campaign.

READ MORE--http://nypost.com/2015/04/20/book-claims-foreign-cash-made-bill-and-hillary-filthy-rich/

[Cincinatus' Wife]

It must kill the Left and the MSM that Schweizer was a foreign policy adviser for Sarah Palin.

[Fresh Wind]

Bumper sticker...

HILLARY CLINTON-THE BEST PRESIDENT MONEY CAN BUY!

[Eddie01]

“The New York Times fired the starting pistol on another round of stories about the Clinton finances with a story on Monday morning describing a forthcoming book, Clinton Cash, by Peter Schweizer, a fellow at Stanford University’s conservative Hoover Institution.”

Out in front to protect group members from the truth.

[elhombrelibre]

Sorry, I meant to post this one to the Hillary topic, and I realized I can post it.

http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials/042015-748736-hillary-clinton-must-answer-for-libya.htm

[bert]

If the Clinton’s are gone, so are all the money problems

[Liz]

White House press secretary Josh Earnest (on Obama's orders) asserted that the Clinton Foundation was “doing excellent work all across the world” and that President Obama was “incredibly proud” of Hillary Clinton’s record at the State Department.

So Obama "didn't know" about all these changes in foreign policy?

Obama was on the golf course when foreign policy decisions were being made by his WH?

Maybe Valerie "forgot" to tell him?

Looks like the deal was Obama pleading abject stupidity about US foreign policy being jerked around by the Clintons.......as long as he got his cut of the Clintons' foreign policy finagling.

[exit82]

Now we have the motive for wiping the server clean.

Even the so-called “wedding” emails are probably written in code.

Remember, it is the seriousness of the charges.

Time for the Demons to get a dose of their own medicine.

[Caipirabob]

This is not the right driving this attack. It is the socialist party leaders going after Hillary.

[captmar-vell]

hillary is shrill crass and corrupt, lusting after power to rule over you and your children and be made your queen. Dont look at her as she passes nearby you, lower your eyes and bow your head,

What kind of people have we become and how far have we fallen that such a vile evil person could be the most likely to be elected,

[Cincinatus' Wife]

“I’m pretty sure that there aren’t many of the Republican candidates who I would consider paupers,” the consultant said.

Deflection: only "paupers" can hold an opinion on Hillary.

I don't know the finances of all the GOP candidates (and those considering a run) but I seriously doubt this argument by the Left will hold any weight.

Here is an in-depth, financial anal exam done recently by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Scott Walker:

Scott Walker has spent most of life planted firmly in middle class ".....The governor's portfolio makes news more for what isn't in it than for what is...." [they say he has a mansion - but they're referring to the governor's mansion which isn't his]

[bert]

Valerie wears several hats. One is White House laundress. She launders their cut.

The Obama Vince Foster should be wary where the Clinton’s are involved to avoid ending up dead behind a cannon revetment

[sport]

Baloney! This will be like all the other Clinton dealings. A lot of noise, nothing done, then forgotten about.

Hillary is responsible for more deaths than father time and no one gives a damn. if we were a "Nation of laws, not people" she would have been in prison long ago. Even a Democrat said after firing her, said what a liar she is. So do not expect anything averse to happen to Hillary in this live

[Liz]

We demand to see:

<><> all of Valerie's wire-transfers, snail mail, cell records, WH phone records,

<><> financial holdings before and after serving in the WH,

<><> any and all of her contacts w/ the Clintons,

<><> trading tickets, bank statements,

<><> travel records, etc etc etc.

[Fresh Wind]

[xzins]

Campaign commercials by the republican candidate are easily imagined:

Hillary Clinton received a 10 million dollar payment from XYZistan at the same time XYZ was seeking aid and assistance from the State Department. The millions in aid was granted shortly after the payment to the Clinton Foundation of the 10 million dollars.

Hillary....selling America to the highest bidder