Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

George W. Bush Charged Wounded Vets Group $100k for Speech
CNN ^ | 7/9 | Tom LoBianco

Posted on 07/09/2015 3:22:30 PM PDT by nickcarraway

Former President George W. Bush is under fire for charging $100,000 to speak to a group of veterans wounded in a pair of wars he started when he was in office, just the latest front in a political battle over speaking fees that has hit both sides of the aisle.

Members of the Texas-based Helping a Hero charity told ABC News that Bush charged $100,000 for his 2012 speech at a charity fundraiser for veterans who lost limbs in the Afghanistan and Iraq Wars. The former president was also given use of a private jet at a cost of $20,000 and former First Lady Laura Bush was paid $50,000 to speak to the group last year.

The fees infuriated one of the board members, who told CNN Wednesday that Bush should not have accepted any money.

"The point here is that a leader should not charge to speak on behalf of the men that he sent into combat, at any level, let alone the commander in chief," said Eddie Wright, a Marine who lost both his hands in a 2004 rocket attack in Fallujah, Iraq.

Helping a Hero builds houses for wounded veterans. But Wright and others were involved in a legal battle last year accusing some of the group's leaders of siphoning money and forcing veterans' wives to sell beauty products. The criminal complaint and a defamation lawsuit filed in response were settled out of court, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Following the reports, Helping a Hero issued a statement supporting Bush.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bush43; cnnlies; medialies
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-79 next last
To: Salvation

Of course they had to run to Bill and he said he does not charge veteran groups when he speaks. Great.....Bush just needs to return the money.


41 posted on 07/09/2015 4:00:03 PM PDT by napscoordinator (Walker for President 2016. The only candidate with actual real RESULTS!!!!! The rest...talkers!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: napscoordinator

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3309868/posts?page=17#17


42 posted on 07/09/2015 4:04:05 PM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: Moonman62

when has Dubya ever fought for anything?

1) Bush lied, people died
2) no more wars for oil
3) there were no WMDs in Iraq

all 3 of these blood libels were repeated over and over and over again while he was sitting in the WH and he refused to ever defend himself.


43 posted on 07/09/2015 4:04:57 PM PDT by TangibleDisgust ("To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize." - Voltaire)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: originalbuckeye

The Bushbashers don’t want to hear your spin!!

/sarc


44 posted on 07/09/2015 4:05:41 PM PDT by clintonh8r
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
I bet the Saudis didn't ask the clown to stammer and stutter about "Islam is Peace", when they gave him medal for not making a fuss about their 9-11 attack on us.

No speaking necessary at that event. All he had to do was bend deep at the waist, shame himself, disgrace his office, and accept the chain of Wahhabi Islamic supremacism over his wretched neck.


45 posted on 07/09/2015 4:07:33 PM PDT by Dagnabitt (Islamic Immigration is Treason)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Crim

I just read where they raised more than $3.2 MILLION so they paid the former POTUS to speak and he gave them a bargain price.

Hey ...life is a business...as for insulting the Bush Family and making them look bad, that is typical of Liberals and Hillary handlers doing this...they are very worried about Granny Benghazi getting smashed. and it has just begun...


46 posted on 07/09/2015 4:08:14 PM PDT by haircutter
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: laconic

“...for grievously wounded veterans in a war he started based on false premises.”

Actually, Congress allowed the war based on information everybody believed.


47 posted on 07/09/2015 4:09:30 PM PDT by VanShuyten ("a shadow...draped nobly in the folds of a gorgeous eloquence.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

So how much did they raise because of their speaker?


48 posted on 07/09/2015 4:12:20 PM PDT by moehoward
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: stanne

How much did they raise? 100,000 less than they could have... I don’t care what the Clintons do, they are trash ... this is simply wrong.


49 posted on 07/09/2015 4:12:52 PM PDT by Mark was here ("The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam" - Obama.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: TangibleDisgust

I’ll bet he speaks for free if it’s about opening our borders to criminals and terrorists


50 posted on 07/09/2015 4:15:44 PM PDT by Mamzelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 43 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway
Same difference they both love illegals and Amnesty.

George Junior tried to shove an Amnesty down our throats, but the Saudi 9-11 attack and his revenge attack on Saudi Arabia Iraq got in the way. (and rat Senator Robert Byrd also helped derail the Amnesty legislation Bush wanted to sign)

51 posted on 07/09/2015 4:16:38 PM PDT by Dagnabitt (Islamic Immigration is Treason)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

Doesn’t matter how much they raised or who paid.

Bush should have told the donor to direct the fee to the Vets, expensives are enough. He wasn’t at Goldman Sachs, He should have donated his time period.

Bad Job.


52 posted on 07/09/2015 4:19:17 PM PDT by Leto
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 48 | View Replies]

To: Dagnabitt

Ah I see Bush Derangement Syndrome isnt just for barking moonbats anymore...it’s alive and well on FR.


53 posted on 07/09/2015 4:21:49 PM PDT by Crim (Palin / West '16)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: trisham

Thanks. I read that and still think it stinks. He should have taken the money from the private donor and gave it to the group. If he was poor or only living on his pension and SS, perhaps it MIGHT be different but again this guy is richer then God.


54 posted on 07/09/2015 4:23:17 PM PDT by napscoordinator (Walker for President 2016. The only candidate with actual real RESULTS!!!!! The rest...talkers!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

He should have donated the fee to wounded veterans groups...


55 posted on 07/09/2015 4:23:17 PM PDT by Popman (Christ Alone: My Cornerstone...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

He wasn’t doing it to profit. He doesn’t need the money and would do it for free. It was just an oversight. Good for Trump attacking the issue though because Jeb will do something stupid like this on the campaign trail.


56 posted on 07/09/2015 4:23:41 PM PDT by ObamahatesPACoal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway; Pearls Before Swine; MUDDOG; Cicero
And for those who choose to read only the headlines:

Workers from Helping a Hero did not immediately return other requests for comment Thursday. But Chuck Jenness, the group's chairman, lists Bush as a "close friend" and said the Bush speech grossed $3.2 million.

Financial information for the group show it netted $2.45 million the year Bush spoke and $1 million the following year.

As a side note, the malcontent who made the report failed to disclose what Pres. Bush did with those funds.......Do you really think he pocketed the money or did he legally donate it back to the foundation?

There are tax incentives to both options............

No good deed goes unpunished...........

57 posted on 07/09/2015 4:24:21 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nickcarraway

Why pay him? They should have told him to hit the road.


58 posted on 07/09/2015 4:26:30 PM PDT by bgill ( CDC site, "we still do not know exactly how people are infected with Ebola")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Hot Tabasco
did he legally donate it back to the foundation

If he did, I stand corrected.

59 posted on 07/09/2015 4:29:07 PM PDT by MUDDOG
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 57 | View Replies]

To: Leto
AHHA!!!...something the left stream screeching hate machine isnt really reporting:

"Speaking and traveling fees for the former President were paid by the charity, but the amount was underwritten by a private donor, the charity lawyer said."

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/us-veterans-charity-george-bush-charged-100000/story?id=32251253 So a private donor paid the discounted fee and costs so the charity could raise 3.4 million.

60 posted on 07/09/2015 4:32:37 PM PDT by Crim (Palin / West '16)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 52 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-79 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson