Bill Clinton Got $9.5 Million in 2002 Speaking Fees

Bloomberg, no url | 6/13/3

[NativeNewYorker]

June 13 (Bloomberg) -- Former President Bill Clinton earned

more than $9.5 million making speeches in 2002, according to

financial disclosures filed in Washington. That was $314,000 more

than he made in 2001, his first year out of the White House.

     Clinton, 56, made about 60 speeches in the U.S. and abroad,

including talks at PeopleSoft Inc., Compuware Corp., and the

Warburg Pincus private equity fund. The two-term Democratic

president commands as much as $400,000 a speech. His salary as

president was $200,000 a year.

     More than 70 percent of Clinton's fees came from engagements

outside the U.S. In one week last May, the former president made

more than $1 million speaking in Japan, China, Singapore and New

Zealand. In a February trip to Australia, he made almost $1.2

million. Clinton also traveled to Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United

Arab Emirates and other countries.

     ''This is a person who's constantly in motion,'' said Stephen

Hess, a presidential scholar at the Brookings Institution. ''He's

on the road and that's his product.''

     Calls to Clinton's New York office were not immediately

returned. His income was reported on the personal financial

disclosure statement of his wife, Senator Hillary Clinton. All

lawmakers are required to file these statements annually. The

disclosures, which senators released today, contain spousal

information.

                          Senator Clinton

     Senator Clinton reported earnings of almost $1.2 million,

part of an $8 million contract the New York Democrat received from

publisher Simon & Schuster Inc. for her book, ''Living History.''

She received almost $2.9 million in 2001 when she agreed to write

the book, records show.

     Clinton earned $150,000 last year in the Senate and has

assets with her family of between $2.1 million and $10.3 million,

the disclosure forms show.

     Clinton's fees rank among the highest on the circuit, said

Dottie Walters, who has booked speakers for about 30 years from

her Los Angeles-based Walters International Speakers Bureau

office. She said fees vary based on the speaker's popularity and

the interest in what they're likely to say.

                      Seinfeld Gets the Most

     ''The highest-paid speaker right now is Jerry Seinfeld,'' she

said. ''The reasons he can get the highest fees is because

associations get people to pay their dues by inviting them to a

convention where he is speaking. He is so popular.'' She said she

heard Seinfeld commanded as much as $600,000 per speech.

     Other speakers who command six-figure fees are comedian Bill

Cosby and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, Walters said.

     Disclosure reports require assets and liabilities to be

reported in a range, rather than an exact amount. The records show

that Clinton owed between $1.7 million and $6.5 million in legal

fees.

     The former president was impeached by the House of

Representatives in his second term. He was acquitted by the

Senate. The case stemmed from Kenneth Starr's investigation into

whether Clinton lied under oath about his affair with former White

House intern Monica Lewinsky.

     ''He's a former president who needs the money,'' Hess said.

''He's also much younger than the typical former president. He's

got the energy.''

[Onelifetogive]

Former President Bill Clinton earned more than $9.5 million making speeches in 2002,

Good for him!

More than 70 percent of Clinton's fees came from engagements outside the U.S.

Good for us!

[Hodar]

I have no problem with LEGITIMATE income. It's when they outright steal from us, or steal gov't property (White House, and Air Force One comes to mind) that I have a problem.

[prophetic]

as the saying goes:

A Fool And Their Money Is Soon Parted.

[Clara Lou]

Imagine-- all of that money to listen to a self-serving gasbag vent.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" The records show

that Clinton owed between $1.7 million and $6.5 million in legal

fees."

What kind of people would still allow this kind of debt to remain outstanding,considering their income? How many little people at the law firm, didn't get their raises waiting for this debt to be paid? Can anyone imagine the press hysteria if this balance sheet applied to George Bush or Newt or Trent??

[NativeNewYorker]

Clearly the legal fee process has been corrupted. The lawyers who could turn Clinton over to the Feds got paid...that's for sure. Perhaps the unpaid legal fee gambit is just a ruse to make fund raising easier.

[You Dirty Rats]

I don't have a problem with this either.

HOWEVER, I remember the 'Rats complaining about Reagan earning two million in Japan after he left office.

I also remember that leaking 'Rat Leahy making an issue of Judge Bork's consulting income. This was especially dirty of Leahy, since Bork earned the money to pay his dying wife's medical bills.

I also remember the complaining about Newt Gingrich's book deal.

Remember, 'Rats, we are the party whose symbol is the elephant, so we never forget! You, on the other hand, have as your symbol the jackass, and you never stop acting like jackasses!

[Hodar]

You, on the other hand, have as your symbol the jackass, and you never stop acting like jackasses!

I assume you were referring to Democratics in general. I'm not a Dem.

[lowbridge]

Who would pay to hear him speak? I had an earful of his miserable lies and moronic opinions for free over an 8 year period. What does he have to say now that is new?

[Nick Danger]

"Hello. My name is Joe Lieberman, and I'm trying to run for president. There are eight others like me.

We sure would appreciate it if the media would stop worrying about the Clintons long enough to cover us instead.

If it's not one Clinton, it's the other. Now it's both of them. She's written a book; he's giving speeches. Well, whoop-dee-doo.

You know, if the Clintons cared about the Democratic Party as much as they care about stuffing their own wallets, they would have the good grace to step aside so we can have a little campaign for president here.

And for those of you in the supposedly pro-Democratic media, how about letting these people move out to Hollywood and get covered by E!. You're not helping us one bit.

[trustandobey]

How can this be?? Susan Estrich says its never been about money with the Clintons!

[Graewoulf]

Thanks to ALL the Senate democrats! On Feb. 12, 2000 they block voted and thus placed him above the law. Crime defineately pays for the democrats!

[aShepard]

Ok, so now its time to publish the figures for Tom and Linda Assshole!

[N. Theknow]

Looks like some people will pay a lot of money to hear the words "I" and "Me" repeated over and over.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

He sure is raking in the laundered money, and I´m not saying this lightly.

[winodog]

I dont have a problem with them making this much money either. The problem is us hard working taxpayers cannot afford health insurance and many of us will not get a pension.
But life time blood sucking parasites like the big apple antichrist, her husband and all the other sinawhores and congresscritters will live a lifetime of never having to worry about medical care or paying rent because they will steal from the taxpayers.
I despise the P&P's.

[rs79bm]

Apparently crime pays $9.5 million a year.

[Redwood71]

He would never have made the money if he had been in jail where he should have been for lying under oath, at least twice, as a president that swore to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. I will never forgive the republican party for letting him "walk!"

And if anyone thinks bringing this type of money into the country is good, I can promise you that everything he doesn't use will be out of reach of taxes or into the hands of the DNC.

[afraidfortherepublic]

He would never have made the money if he had been in jail where he should have been for lying under oath, at least twice, as a president that swore to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.

And jail would further reduce the SS expense. The agents could keep track of him easier if he were behind bars.