Finley: Clinton Foundation must shut down
Nolan Finley, The Detroit NewsPublic service has been very, very good to the Clintons. Now with Hillary Clinton seemingly headed to the White House, the couple’s financial fortunes are unlimited — if they can follow the same business model that helped make them super rich.
The Clintons’ recently released 2015 tax returns show an income of $10.5 million, which places them solidly within the reviled 1 percent, those privileged elites Hillary Clinton says will need “toppling” for the middle class to rise.
Don’t look for the Clintons to head voluntarily to the guillotine. Piling up wealth has been their obsession since leaving office 16 years ago, by Hillary Clinton’s description, virtually penniless. Their net worth is roughly $110 million.
Bill Clinton has perfected the marketing of the presidency, commanding speaking fees that start at $500,000 and go up. During the period after she left the Obama administration and was mulling what to do with her life, Hillary Clinton also cleaned up on the speaker circuit, drawing fat checks from Wall Street financial houses and nonprofits alike.
They kept some of the money and donated some to the family’s Clinton Foundation, a global nonprofit that is part charity, part political front.
Then Hillary Clinton was named secretary of state. The nexus between the State Department and the Clinton Foundation presented vast new opportunities for bringing in cash.
Whether by intent or coincidence, major donors to the Clinton Foundation also had business before Hillary Clinton’s State Department. And what the Washington Post last week called “the porous ethical wall” between the two institutions failed to prevent the collaboration President Barack Obama worried about when he demanded, on naming her to his cabinet, that she report any hint of conflict.
Clinton aides moved between the State Department and the foundation, and it served as a holding pen for her campaign staff, providing them with jobs and contracts.
So what will happen to the Clinton Foundation if Hillary Clinton wins the election? The couple has been vague, and a media that is unable to scrutinize more than one scoundrel at a time has shown little interest in exploring the hazards.
Bill Clinton last month promised the foundation would change if his wife is elected. “You have to be careful to avoid actual and potential conflicts of interest,” he said. “We’ll think very clearly about it and we’ll do the right thing and explain it to the American people.”
But the Clintons are artists at dancing along the ethical edge. Any assurances offered about conflict avoidance can’t be trusted, considering Hillary Clinton blew off similar promises made to Obama.
The foundation should have stopped taking donations the minute Clinton announced her presidential bid. If it remains open after she’s elected, foreign governments and others who’ve witnessed how contributions open the access door will flood it with cash, thinking it’s a secret tunnel into the Oval Office.
Hillary Clinton should explain what will happen to the Clinton Foundation if she’s elected. And the only acceptable answer is that it will shut down.
[Edited on 8/21/2016 by bob1954]
Before you cast your vote, has she answered your request?
Never mind, she doesnt answer questions or hold press conferences.
There may be a chance the Clinton foundation will be a topic tonite, i hope.
Before you cast your vote, has she answered your request?
I will worry about that when Trump releases his tax returns.
Interesting article comparing the Clinton and Trump Foundations:
Interesting article comparing the Clinton and Trump Foundations:
Way to answer the question, chief!
Interesting article comparing the Clinton and Trump Foundations:
Way to answer the question, chief!
What is the question, Bud?
Is it a concern the foundation would continue and pile up obscene amounts of wealth selling access if hillary were president?
Imagine how much a cabinet position will be worth.
Is it a concern the foundation would continue and pile up obscene amounts of wealth selling access if hillary were president?
You want us to comment on something that hasn't happened yet?
Is it a concern the foundation would continue and pile up obscene amounts of wealth selling access if hillary were president?
The Clinton's have announced that if Hillary is elected they will sever ties with the Foundation. Bill will resign from the Board, and it will no longer accept foreign donations. So, yes, the potential conflict of interest issue has been addressed to my satisfaction. Does that answer your question? I still have concerns about the evidence that suggests donors received access when Clinton was Secretary of State, but that is another matter. The fact is that the Clinton Foundation does good work and is highly ranked by CharityWatch. The same cannot be said for the Trump Foundation. He set his foundation up as a private foundation, supposedly as a mechanism to use his wealth to serve charitable causes. Yet he hasn't given any of his money to the foundation since 2008 and the foundation is used to buy portraits of him, make political contributions, and settle lawsuits. And his response to the conflict of interest issue if elected is that his kids will run it.
Is it a concern the foundation would continue and pile up obscene amounts of wealth selling access if hillary were president?
The Clinton's have announced that if Hillary is elected they will sever ties with the Foundation. Bill will resign from the Board, and it will no longer accept foreign donations. So, yes, the potential conflict of interest issue has been addressed to my satisfaction.
Apparently there was no conflict of interest issue when Ms Clinton was Secretary of State. Got it.
Is it a concern the foundation would continue and pile up obscene amounts of wealth selling access if hillary were president?
The Clinton's have announced that if Hillary is elected they will sever ties with the Foundation. Bill will resign from the Board, and it will no longer accept foreign donations. So, yes, the potential conflict of interest issue has been addressed to my satisfaction.
Apparently there was no conflict of interest issue when Ms Clinton was Secretary of State. Got it.
Why did you fail to quote the next sentence of my post, which addressed the issue when she was Secretary:
I still have concerns about the evidence that suggests donors received access when Clinton was Secretary of State, but that is another matter.
Is it a concern the foundation would continue and pile up obscene amounts of wealth selling access if hillary were president?
The Clinton's have announced that if Hillary is elected they will sever ties with the Foundation. Bill will resign from the Board, and it will no longer accept foreign donations. So, yes, the potential conflict of interest issue has been addressed to my satisfaction.
Apparently there was no conflict of interest issue when Ms Clinton was Secretary of State. Got it.
Why did you fail to quote the next sentence of my post, which addressed the issue when she was Secretary:
I still have concerns about the evidence that suggests donors received access when Clinton was Secretary of State, but that is another matter.
Yes, we discussed this a while back, and I know you already agreed that the rationale doesn't quite add up.
The right's fake outrage over Hillary is desperate. There is no Hillary outrage at Benghazi, her emails, or the Clinton Foundation. That's all smoke and mirros. The right simply agrees and likes what Trump says, and therefore they support him. It's that simple. It's not because Hillary's a crook or blah blah blah. If they felt that way about Hillary, then they must be outraged over every other politican. Stop with the fake war against Hillary and go out there and support Trump's vision that the right loves so much. It should be easy to sell if it's so great. No need to mention Hillary at all.
[Edited on 10/19/2016 by BoytonBrother]
The right's fake outrage over Hillary is desperate. There is no Hillary outrage at Benghazi, her emails, or the Clinton Foundation. That's all smoke and mirros.
If they felt that way about Hillary, then they must be outraged over every other politican.
Stop with the fake war against Hillary and go out there and support Trump's vision that the right loves so much. It should be easy to sell if it's so great. No need to mention Hillary at all.
[Edited on 10/19/2016 by BoytonBrother]
1. Respectfully, how do you know what so many folks think or don't think? If they're outraged or not? You have no way of knowing.
2. That's why Trump won the nomination in the first place.
3. The reverse is also true. Why even mention Trump? Hillary should be just as easy to sell if she's that great. Not many people are trying.
1. Respectfully, how do you know what so many folks think or don't think? If they're outraged or not? You have no way of knowing.
The polls that have her ahead is a strong indicator...if there was that much outrage across the board then he'd have a big lead, but he's losing.
2. That's why Trump won the nomination in the first place.
Trump won the nomination because of outrage over Hillary? How do you figure? There were other GOP candidates who polled much better against her...he won the nomination in spite of that, not because of it.
3. The reverse is also true. Why even mention Trump? Hillary should be just as easy to sell if she's that great. Not many people are trying.
Lots of people are trying, you must be ignoring that. I'm not a HRC supporter and even I can see it.
[Edited on 10/20/2016 by gondicar]
2. That's why Trump won the nomination in the first place.
Trump won the nomination because of outrage over Hillary? How do you figure?
[Edited on 10/20/2016 by gondicar]
No, general outrage over politicians. I didn't name Hillary in particular.
[Edited on 10/20/2016 by alloak41]
3. The reverse is also true. Why even mention Trump? Hillary should be just as easy to sell if she's that great. Not many people are trying.
Lots of people are trying, you must be ignoring that. I'm not a HRC supporter and even I can see it.
[Edited on 10/20/2016 by gondicar]
Not much to ignore. Ninety-five percent is about how horrible Trump is and that might be generous. You must be ignoring that.
3. The reverse is also true. Why even mention Trump? Hillary should be just as easy to sell if she's that great. Not many people are trying.
Lots of people are trying, you must be ignoring that. I'm not a HRC supporter and even I can see it.
Not much to ignore. Ninety-five percent is about how horrible Trump is and that might be generous. You must be ignoring that.
Agree. most of the press is about Trump's disgraceful behavior and preposterous statements. But that's on him, not Hillary or the media.
3. The reverse is also true. Why even mention Trump? Hillary should be just as easy to sell if she's that great. Not many people are trying.
Lots of people are trying, you must be ignoring that. I'm not a HRC supporter and even I can see it.
Not much to ignore. Ninety-five percent is about how horrible Trump is and that might be generous. You must be ignoring that.
Agree. most of the press is about Trump's disgraceful behavior and preposterous statements. But that's on him, not Hillary or the media.
Right. The Clinton campaign has spent no time on Trump, not a word. It's all about selling Hillary, her visions and ideas, and how great she would be. Nor has the media.
[Edited on 10/20/2016 by alloak41]
3. The reverse is also true. Why even mention Trump? Hillary should be just as easy to sell if she's that great. Not many people are trying.
Lots of people are trying, you must be ignoring that. I'm not a HRC supporter and even I can see it.
Not much to ignore. Ninety-five percent is about how horrible Trump is and that might be generous. You must be ignoring that.
Agree. most of the press is about Trump's disgraceful behavior and preposterous statements. But that's on him, not Hillary or the media.
Right. The Clinton campaign has spent no time on Trump, not a word. It's all about selling Hillary, her visions and ideas, and how great she would be. Nor has the media.
If you read my post you'd see that I have agreed with you that they spend most of their time on Trump. Idiot.
3. The reverse is also true. Why even mention Trump? Hillary should be just as easy to sell if she's that great. Not many people are trying.
Lots of people are trying, you must be ignoring that. I'm not a HRC supporter and even I can see it.
[Edited on 10/20/2016 by gondicar]
Not much to ignore. Ninety-five percent is about how horrible Trump is and that might be generous. You must be ignoring that.
I'm not ignoring anything, but by saying "Not many people are trying [to make a case for Hillary] you are either being intentionally ignorant, have been misinformed, or are flat out lying. I agree it has largely been drowned out by Trump and his own disgraceful behavior and preposterous statements, but your being intellectually dishonest with your claim (and no one here is shocked by that).
https://www.google.com/search?q=making+a+case+for+hillary&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
[Edited on 10/20/2016 by gondicar]
I'm not ignoring anything, but by saying "Not many people are trying [to make a case for Hillary] you are either: A) being intentionally ignorant, B) have been misinformed, or C) are flat out lying.
I think it is a combination of A and C.
2. That's why Trump won the nomination in the first place.
Trump won the nomination because of outrage over Hillary? How do you figure?
[Edited on 10/20/2016 by gondicar]No, general outrage over politicians. I didn't name Hillary in particular.
More intellectual dishonesty from the snarkmeister. BoytonBrother commented on faux outrage over Hillary, and you responded with three numbered points in your retort...see below But you want us to believe you weren't talking about Hillary. Wow.
The right's fake outrage over Hillary is desperate. There is no Hillary outrage at Benghazi, her emails, or the Clinton Foundation. That's all smoke and mirros.
If they felt that way about Hillary, then they must be outraged over every other politican.
Stop with the fake war against Hillary and go out there and support Trump's vision that the right loves so much. It should be easy to sell if it's so great. No need to mention Hillary at all.
[Edited on 10/19/2016 by BoytonBrother]
1. Respectfully, how do you know what so many folks think or don't think? If they're outraged or not? You have no way of knowing.
2. That's why Trump won the nomination in the first place.
3. The reverse is also true. Why even mention Trump? Hillary should be just as easy to sell if she's that great. Not many people are trying.
3. The reverse is also true. Why even mention Trump? Hillary should be just as easy to sell if she's that great. Not many people are trying.
Lots of people are trying, you must be ignoring that. I'm not a HRC supporter and even I can see it.
Not much to ignore. Ninety-five percent is about how horrible Trump is and that might be generous. You must be ignoring that.
Agree. most of the press is about Trump's disgraceful behavior and preposterous statements. But that's on him, not Hillary or the media.
Trump has dug much of his own hole and chosen to wallow in it throughout this election. He is now being held acountable for his words & actions. The polls reflect that. In the end he'll never accept blame for losing this election. It's all going to be others' fault.
1. Respectfully, how do you know what so many folks think or don't think? If they're outraged or not? You have no way of knowing.
The outrage is evident. I don't believe it's a coincidence that every Trump supporter I know was outraged at Kaepernick and makes excuses for the cops that kill unarmed men for not "doing what they're told", and wants that wall built. Trump supporters simply love and agree with his racist rhetoric, but they are too ashamed to admit it, so they make up some phony b.s outrage towards Hillary to justify their support for him. They basically say, "I love what trump is saying! Oh dear, how could I possibly admit that though? I don't have the courage to admit it so I'll pretend to hate Hillary as my reason. Yeah, that sounds better."
Both candidates are flawed. This election is about finding the positions that appeal to you and ignoring the rest. Yes, Trump supporters are dealing with alot of character smears and flaws. You log on and boast you are enjoying prime rib and mock our sh it sandwich. You could not be more wrong. You are still eating a shi it sandwich but it has a cherry on top.
Bon appetite.
Both candidates are flawed. This election is about finding the positions that appeal to you and ignoring the rest. Yes, Trump supporters are dealing with alot of character smears and flaws. You log on and boast you are enjoying prime rib and mock our sh it sandwich. You could not be more wrong. You are still eating a shi it sandwich but it has a cherry on top.
Bon appetite.
Enjoy your meal...I'll be enjoying some filet mignon courtesy of Johnson/Weld. 