Why Is an Israeli-American Billionaire Pouring Millions into the Clinton Foundation?

Weeks after Hillary Clinton became secretary of state, the State Department objected to a proposed consultancy arrangement offered to Bill Clinton by media mogul Haim Saban, citing concerns about conflict of interest. Nevertheless, public records show that Saban’s nonprofit gave millions to the Clinton Foundation throughout Hillary Clinton’s tenure.

Saban, a billionaire best known for creating Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, has dual U.S.-Israeli citizenship and has spent heavily to support Israel. “His greatest concern, he says, is to protect Israel, by strengthening the United States-Israel relationship,” the New Yorker noted in a 2010 profile of Saban. At a conference in Israel, the article said, Saban had outlined three methods for influencing American politics: “make donations to political parties, establish think tanks, and control media outlets.”

Saban’s foreign-policy activism did not escape the attention of the State Department. The agency’s designated ethics adviser, James H. Thessin, wrote in a memo that his objection to the proposed consultancy was “based on the fact that Haim Saban, a founder of this entity, is actively involved in foreign affairs issues, particularly with regards to the Middle East, which is a priority area for the Secretary.”

Thessin’s memo, one of 1,017 pages of records obtained by Judicial Watch, was the only instance in which the Department of State objected to one of Bill Clinton’s proposed speaking engagements or consultancy agreements.

Yet between 2009 and 2013, as Hillary Clinton served as secretary of state, the Saban Family Foundation paid the Clinton Foundation more than $7 million, and listed $30.5 million in “grants and contributions approved for future payment,” according to nonprofit records filed with the Internal Revenue Service. It’s unclear whether there was any overlap between the $7 million paid and $30.5 million committed to the Clinton Foundation in those years.

The Saban Family Foundation and Haim Saban declined National Review’s request for comment and would not answer questions about how much they had given to the Clinton Foundation while Mrs. Clinton was secretary of state. The Clinton Foundation lists donations from “Cheryl and Haim Saban & The Saban Family Foundation” in the $10 million to $25 million range.

Since 2009, Hillary and Bill Clinton have both given speeches at Saban Family Foundation forums. Then–secretary of state Clinton delivered a major policy address on Israel at one such forum. And in 2013, Saban’s wife, Cheryl, joined the Clinton Foundation’s board.

It’s not clear whether anyone at Foggy Bottom reviewed or approved these donations or Hillary Clinton’s speaking engagement at the Saban Family Foundation forum; the State Department did not respond to National Review’s repeated e-mail inquiries and phone calls by deadline.

The Clinton Foundation did not respond to e-mails, and the voicemail of its spokesperson was full. The Clinton campaign was similarly unresponsive to National Review’s e-mailed requests for comment.

Saban has been a longtime friend and supporter of the Clintons, also donating more than $12 million to Democrats since 2002, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. He was a major fundraiser for Hillary Clinton’s previous presidential campaign, and in addition to giving to the Clinton Foundation, he has also donated around $5 million to the Clinton Library.

The Sabans have continued to support Hillary Clinton long after she left her post at the State Department; this past Thursday, Cheryl and Haim Saban hosted a $2,700-per-person fundraiser for her at their Los Angeles home.

— Jillian Kay Melchior writes for National Review as a Thomas L. Rhodes Fellow for the Franklin Center. She is also a senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum.

WIKI---Latino Univision owner, Haim Saban described his formula to influence American politics: make donations to political parties, establish think tanks, and control media outlets.[22]

Saban became involved in politics in the mid-1990s when he felt that support for Israel was slipping in the United States.[5]

Saban has been a generous and consistent donor to the United States Democratic Party according to his mandatory Federal Election Commission filings. Mother Jones, in an analysis of the major donors to the campaigns of 1998 election cycle, ranked Saban 155th among individual donors.[23] Amy Paris noted that Saban's Clinton-era "generosity did not go unrewarded. During the Clinton administration, the entertainment executive served on the President's Export Council, advising the White House on trade issues."[23]

The New York Times reported that Haim and his wife "slept in the White House several times during President Clinton's two terms." Saban remains close friends with the former President. Clinton described Saban as a "very good friend and supporter."[5] Saban contributed between $5 million to $10 million to the William J. Clinton Foundation.[24]

During the 2000 presidential election, Saban increased his rank to 5th among individual donors with a combined contribution of $1,250,500.[23] Matthew Yglesias wrote that "Saban was the largest overall contributor to the Democratic National Committee during the 2001–2002 cycle." [25] Saban's donations during that 2001–2002 period exceeded $10 million, the largest donation the DNC has received from a single source up to that time.

In September 2004, Hillary Clinton described Saban as a very good friend, supporter and adviser: "I am grateful for his commitment to Israel, to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East and to my foundation's work, particularly on reconciliation issues."[5] In May 2007, Haim publicly declared his support for Clinton in 2008 presidential election.[20]

In June 2007, Saban and Steven Spielberg co-hosted a Hillary Clinton fundraiser at the house of Peter Chernin, the President of News Corporation.[26] According to the Los Angeles Times,[26] the fundraiser brought in over $850,000.

In March 2008, Saban was among a group of major Jewish donors to sign a letter to Democratic Party house leader Nancy Pelosi warning her to "keep out of the Democratic presidential primaries."[27] The donors, who "were strong supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign", "were incensed by a March 16 interview in which Pelosi said that party 'superdelegates' should heed the will of the majority in selecting a candidate."[27] The letter to Pelosi stated the donors "have been strong supporters of the DCCC" and implied, according to The Jewish Telegraphic Agency,[27] that Pelosi could lose their financial support in important upcoming congressional elections.

On May 19, 2008, it was reported that Haim Saban had "offered $1 million to the Young Democrats of America during a phone conversation in which he also pressed for the organization's two uncommitted superdelegates to endorse the New York Democrat."[28]

Saban, a long-time supporter and donor of many pro-Jewish and Israel causes, has stated his main goal in multiple interviews: "I'm a one-issue guy, and my issue is Israel."[38]

Haim Saban, a worldwide pioneer and leader in the
entertainment industry, is the Chairman and CEO of
Saban Capital Group, Inc.

THIS IS SABAN'S BUSINESS WEB SITE http://www.saban.com/html/team/saban.html

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THIS JUST IN--NY POST REPORTS Bill Clinton ups his visibility in the wake of the Clinton Foundation tsunami---he will speak (for an undisclosed fee) at Spanish-language network Univision on the subject of “growth and influence of the Latino market" (translation---laying on the latino agit-prop for Hillary).

The NY Post reports the Univision speech could be part of a strategy with Univision owner, Israeli Haim Saban, to deliver these votes to Hillary. Saban, a billionaire entertainment mogul, is also hosting Hollywood fund-raisers for Hillary in LA.

TIT FOR TAT Bill does the paid speech for Haim and Haim helps deal with the critical Hispanic audience for Hillary.

Other says the incentive for Bill to appear at the Univision event is his need to get visibility after the barrage of unfavorable publicity.

Why does one non-profit give money to another non-profit?

Nails it---its one of the most flagrant tax evasion, money laundering methods---how foundation owners tskim off tax-free money for themselves. The check recipient takes a cut then deposits the bulk offshore for the donor's use later...all tax-free.

As I've posted earlier---the problem is not how much they're taking in--its what the Clintons do w/ the billions once deposited in their tax-exempt foundation.

Clinton's MO is to travel the globe..... his secret accounts are everywhere.

When he finally went to jail, investigators found Ponzi king, Bernie Madoff, had stashed billions offshore---into a labyrinth of financial entities. Some $8.9 billion was funneled to Madoff through a dozen so-called funds based in Europe, the Caribbean and Central America......a labyrinth of hedge funds, management companies and service providers that was structured to look like a system of checks and balances.

Madoff got away with his scheme for some 25 years. Although he was jailed for running a Ponzi, Madoff's main purpose was helping billionaire tax-exempt foundations launder money and evade taxes.

An earlier NYT's expose tarred Bill Clinton w/ Teneo's sub rosa dealings. Teneo is run by Clinton aide---Doug Band. Prosecutors found Band and Clinton listed in pedophile's Jeffry Epsteiin's records as having a shocking 21 email addresses and tele nos.

Can you say money laundering? L/E recognizes multiple phone nos and email as the classic MO for money- laundering and tax evasion. Are any of Clinton's phone nos and emails "fronts" for fake companies?

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