For the last ten days or so, there have been reports about how the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation has been accepting multi-million dollar contributions from foreign governments and lobbyists for those governments. The contributions look very much like attempts by these governments to buy the approval of Hillary Clinton who is likely to be the Democrat candidate for president in 2016. It's not that these foreign countries get something now from Hillary in exchange for their millions; rather, it looks like these countries are expecting something from Hillary in the future should she get elected. In other words, it is highly inappropriate. Since the story first broke, however, we have all been told that while Hillary was secretary of state, the foundation stopped accepting "gifts" from foreigners to avoid conflicts of interest.
Well, like many items of information put out by the Obama administration (and by Hillary too), this last claim turned out to be false. The Washington Post is reporting that while Mrs. Clinton held the post of secretary of state, the Clinton Foundation went right on accepting big bucks from the foreign governments. One gift mentioned in the WaPo article is half a million dollars from Algeria that was given just at the time that Algeria was lobbying the State Department to get off the list of human rights violators.
When the Clinton Foundation took gifts after Hillary left the State Department, it was just tawdry and called into question the judgment of a potential presidential candidate. Accepting the gift when Mrs. Clinton was in office at State, however, could be a felony in certain circumstances. Obviously, we do not yet know all the details of what happened and must rely only on what the WaPo has reported, so it may turn out the Mrs. Clinton has not committed a criminal act. One thing is certain, however; Mrs. Clinton has to come forward and explain what happened here. Otherwise, this may be the end of her campaign even before it starts.
Well, like many items of information put out by the Obama administration (and by Hillary too), this last claim turned out to be false. The Washington Post is reporting that while Mrs. Clinton held the post of secretary of state, the Clinton Foundation went right on accepting big bucks from the foreign governments. One gift mentioned in the WaPo article is half a million dollars from Algeria that was given just at the time that Algeria was lobbying the State Department to get off the list of human rights violators.
When the Clinton Foundation took gifts after Hillary left the State Department, it was just tawdry and called into question the judgment of a potential presidential candidate. Accepting the gift when Mrs. Clinton was in office at State, however, could be a felony in certain circumstances. Obviously, we do not yet know all the details of what happened and must rely only on what the WaPo has reported, so it may turn out the Mrs. Clinton has not committed a criminal act. One thing is certain, however; Mrs. Clinton has to come forward and explain what happened here. Otherwise, this may be the end of her campaign even before it starts.
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