Hillary launches desperate defense of her State Department meetings with foundation donors who gave her $156m: Clinton accuses media of 'cherry picking' as she faces claims of 'third world corruption'
[h=1]Hillary camp launches desperate 'cherry-picking' defense after her calendars reveal Clinton Foundation donors got face-time when she was secretary of state[/h]
By DAVID MARTOSKO, US POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 14:20, 24 August 2016 | UPDATED: 16:09, 24 August 2016
Hillary Clinton's campaign officials insisted Wednesday that the Democratic presidential nominee's dozens of State Department meetings with donors to her family foundation don't present a conflict of interest.
Chief strategist Joel Benenson said the Associated Press report was 'cherry-picking' Clinton's long-hidden schedules from her time as secretary of state.
Campaign manager Robby Mook used the exact same word to describe the blockbuster article that dominated Tuesday afternoon's news cycle.
The AP determined that more than half of Clinton's scheduled meetings and phone calls with non-governmental personnel during her time at State were with donors to the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
Those contributors poured $156 million into the foundation's coffers, according to the AP.
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NOTHING TO SEE HERE: Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told CNN on Wednesday that the Associated Press was 'cherry-picking' its report showing most of Hillary's nongovernmental meetings at the State Department were with her foundation's donors
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DEJA VU: Clinton campaign chief strategist Joel Benenson also said the AP was 'cherry-picking' from Clinton's long-hidden State Department schedules
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WALKING ON EGGSHELLS: Clinton has kept a low profile and plans just one public event before Labor Day, with the rest of her time dominated by private high-dollar fundraisers
'They took a small sliver of her tenure as secretary of state, less than half the time, less than a fraction of the meetings, fewer than I think 3 percent, Benenson complained Wednesday on CNN's 'New Day' program.
Clinton, he said, 'met with over 17,000 world leaders, countless other government officials, public officials in the United States.'
But it was the 154 nongovernmental meetings on Clinton's books that drew the AP's interest. Of those, 85 were with Clinton foundation donors.
Benenson claimed drawing a conclusion from that smaller subset of meetings was 'one of the most massive misrepresentations you could see from the data.'
'And then they're trying to malign and implicate that there was some, something nefarious going on when, in fact, there wasn't.'
'People give donations to this foundation because they believe in the work of this foundation,' Benenson added, but blasted the AP for basing its story on 'a completely flawed premise.'
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OUTRAGE: Donald Trump said Tuesday night in Texas that Clinton's apparent conflicts of interet were reminiscent of 'Third World countries'
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LOCK HER UP? Trump supporters dressed as 'jailbird' Clintons and posed for photos in Texas
On MSNBC's 'Morning Joe,' Mook insisted Clinton 'doesn't have a conflict of interest,' and pointed to the Clinton Foundation's decision to stop accepting foreign donations – at least to its flagship office.
'Hillary Clinton doesn't have a conflict of interest with charitable work,' he said, before deflecting the question into an attack on her Republican rival.
'We need to look a lot more closely at Donald Trump if we're going to drill this deep on Hillary Clinton,' he said.
'By our count, there were over 1,700 other meetings that she had,' Mook complained.
'She was secretary of state, she was meeting with foreign officials and government officials constantly. So to pull all of them out of the equation [and] cherry-pick a very small number of meetings is very outrageous.'
The Associated Press also flagged $170 million in Clinton Foundation donations from at least 16 foreign governments whose representatives got face time with Clinton.
'They were not included in AP's calculations,' the news agency reported, 'because such meetings would presumably have been part of her diplomatic duties.'
[h=1]Hillary camp launches desperate 'cherry-picking' defense after her calendars reveal Clinton Foundation donors got face-time when she was secretary of state[/h]
- Associated Press found that most of Hillary Clinton's nongovernmental meetings as secretary of state were with her foundation's donors
- Her campaign went into spin mode Wednesday, calling the AP's report an exercise in 'cherry-picking'
- Trump said the conflict of interest is like 'what happens in Third World countries'
- His national policy director challenged Clinton to release all of her State Department schedules to clear up any confusion
By DAVID MARTOSKO, US POLITICAL EDITOR FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 14:20, 24 August 2016 | UPDATED: 16:09, 24 August 2016
Hillary Clinton's campaign officials insisted Wednesday that the Democratic presidential nominee's dozens of State Department meetings with donors to her family foundation don't present a conflict of interest.
Chief strategist Joel Benenson said the Associated Press report was 'cherry-picking' Clinton's long-hidden schedules from her time as secretary of state.
Campaign manager Robby Mook used the exact same word to describe the blockbuster article that dominated Tuesday afternoon's news cycle.
The AP determined that more than half of Clinton's scheduled meetings and phone calls with non-governmental personnel during her time at State were with donors to the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation.
Those contributors poured $156 million into the foundation's coffers, according to the AP.
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NOTHING TO SEE HERE: Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook told CNN on Wednesday that the Associated Press was 'cherry-picking' its report showing most of Hillary's nongovernmental meetings at the State Department were with her foundation's donors
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DEJA VU: Clinton campaign chief strategist Joel Benenson also said the AP was 'cherry-picking' from Clinton's long-hidden State Department schedules
- SHARE PICTURE
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WALKING ON EGGSHELLS: Clinton has kept a low profile and plans just one public event before Labor Day, with the rest of her time dominated by private high-dollar fundraisers
'They took a small sliver of her tenure as secretary of state, less than half the time, less than a fraction of the meetings, fewer than I think 3 percent, Benenson complained Wednesday on CNN's 'New Day' program.
Clinton, he said, 'met with over 17,000 world leaders, countless other government officials, public officials in the United States.'
But it was the 154 nongovernmental meetings on Clinton's books that drew the AP's interest. Of those, 85 were with Clinton foundation donors.
Benenson claimed drawing a conclusion from that smaller subset of meetings was 'one of the most massive misrepresentations you could see from the data.'
'And then they're trying to malign and implicate that there was some, something nefarious going on when, in fact, there wasn't.'
'People give donations to this foundation because they believe in the work of this foundation,' Benenson added, but blasted the AP for basing its story on 'a completely flawed premise.'
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OUTRAGE: Donald Trump said Tuesday night in Texas that Clinton's apparent conflicts of interet were reminiscent of 'Third World countries'
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LOCK HER UP? Trump supporters dressed as 'jailbird' Clintons and posed for photos in Texas
On MSNBC's 'Morning Joe,' Mook insisted Clinton 'doesn't have a conflict of interest,' and pointed to the Clinton Foundation's decision to stop accepting foreign donations – at least to its flagship office.
'Hillary Clinton doesn't have a conflict of interest with charitable work,' he said, before deflecting the question into an attack on her Republican rival.
'We need to look a lot more closely at Donald Trump if we're going to drill this deep on Hillary Clinton,' he said.
'By our count, there were over 1,700 other meetings that she had,' Mook complained.
'She was secretary of state, she was meeting with foreign officials and government officials constantly. So to pull all of them out of the equation [and] cherry-pick a very small number of meetings is very outrageous.'
The Associated Press also flagged $170 million in Clinton Foundation donations from at least 16 foreign governments whose representatives got face time with Clinton.
'They were not included in AP's calculations,' the news agency reported, 'because such meetings would presumably have been part of her diplomatic duties.'
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'CORRUPTION': Trump, shown with parents of Americans murdered by illegal immigrants, hammered Clinton all night Tuesday for 'selling' government access
Trump policy director Stephen Miller blasted Clinton in an email to reporters on Wednesday morning.
'Secretary Clinton, you claim the AP report is an incomplete accounting of your meetings. Why don’t you clear up any problems with the AP report by releasing all of your schedules from while you were in charge of the State Department?' he asked.
Trump himself uncorked on Clinton during a Tuesday night rally in Austin, Texas.
'It is a total embarrassment if our secretary of state can be bought or bribed or sold,' he said as a chorus of cheers rang out.
'It's a disgrace! This is a threat to the foundation of democracy. This is what happens in Third World countries.'
'Hillary Clinton is totally unfit to hold public office,' he added later. 'It is impossible to figure out where the Clinton Foundation ends and the State Department begins. The specific crimes committed to carry out that enterprise are too numerous to cover in this speech.'
'It is now abundantly clear that the Clintons set up a business to profit from public office. They sold access. This is corruption and this is why I have called for a special prosecutor to look into this mess.'
Read more:
[h=2]Emails Show Top Clinton Aide Researched Alzheimer’s Drug[/h]
BY: Jack Heretik
August 24, 2016 12:59 pm
Recently released emails show that Jake Sullivan, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, researched a drug that is used to treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, among other disorders, while Clinton was secretary of state and told her about his findings.
BY: Jack HeretikAugust 24, 2016 12:59 pm
Recently released emails show that Jake Sullivan, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, researched a drug that is used to treat Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, among other disorders, while Clinton was secretary of state and told her about his findings.
[h=1]Hillary Clinton KNEW her aides were working with family foundation despite her pledge not to – and she even hosted dinner at her home for the charity when in office[/h]
By ALANA GOODMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 00:55, 25 August 2016 | UPDATED: 02:30, 25 August 2016
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Hillary Clinton's closest State Department aides were closely involved in projects with the Clinton Foundation, according to emails, despite ethics agreements intended to create a firewall between Clinton's office and her family's foundation
- Clinton's closest State Department aides were closely involved in projects with Clinton Foundation, according to emails released Tuesday
- This was despite ethics agreements intended to create a firewall between Clinton's office and family's foundation
- Emails released by Citizens United show aides Huma Abedin and Cheryl Mills were in regular contact with foundation officials
- Topics of correspondence ranged from programming at Clinton Global Initiative events to Bill Clinton's public remarks
- Clinton signed ethics agreement saying she wouldn't be personally involved in state department matters related to foundation
- But State Department said her closet staffers were bound by no such restrictions
By ALANA GOODMAN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 00:55, 25 August 2016 | UPDATED: 02:30, 25 August 2016
- SHARE PICTURE
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Hillary Clinton's closest State Department aides were closely involved in projects with the Clinton Foundation, according to emails, despite ethics agreements intended to create a firewall between Clinton's office and her family's foundation
[h=6]- AUGUST 24, 2016 -[/h][h=1]HILLARY CLINTON SHORT CIRCUITS TRYING TO DEFEND THE CLINTON FOUNDATION[/h]
Tonight Clinton Said There Were No Conflicts Of Interest With The Clinton Foundation:
Tonight Clinton Told CNN That Her Work As Secretary Of State Was “Not Influenced By Any Outside Forces.” CLINTON: “Well first what Trump has said is ridiculous. My work as Secretary of State was not influenced by any outside forces. I made policy decisions based on what I thought was right to keep Americans safe and protect US interests abroad. No wild political attacks by Donald Trump is going to change that. In fact the State Department itself said there was no evidence of any impropriety at all.” (CNN, 8/24/16)
The Media Has Slammed Clinton Due To Conflicts Of Interest Between The Foundation And The State Department:
The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), Which Seeks Commitments From Corporations, “Has Become A Particularly Thorny Subject For The Clintons.” “CGI, which seeks commitments from corporations, other non-profits and governments around the world to tackle problems ranging from childhood obesity to Ebola, has become a particularly thorny subject for the Clintons.” (Ken Vogel, “Clinton Foundation Of Collision Course With Campaign,” Politico, 1/28/16)
CGI Has Come Under Attack For “Accepting Huge Donations From Foreign Governments And Other Entities That Had Business Before The State Department During Hillary Clinton’s Tenure As Secretary Of State.” “It became a target of GOP attacks for accepting huge donations from foreign governments and other entities that had business before the State Department during Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State.” (Ken Vogel, “Clinton Foundation Of Collision Course With Campaign,” Politico, 1/28/16)
The Economist: “The Problem” With The Clinton Foundation Is That Appears “Vulnerable To Conflicts Of Interest.” “The problem is that a foundation, which is led by an ex-president and someone who hopes to be elected president by the end of the year, can appear vulnerable to conflicts of interest.” (“Why The Clinton Foundation Is So Controversial,” The Economist, 2/7/16)
The New York Post Editorial Headline: “Want A Job? Give To The Clinton Foundation Right Away!” (Editorial Board, “Want A Job? Give To The Clinton Foundation Right Away!,” The New York Post, 8/9/16)
The New York Times Headline: “Emails Renew Questions About Clinton Foundation And State Dept. Overlap” (Eric Lichtblau, “Emails Renew Questions About Clinton Foundation And State Dept. Overlap,” The New York Times, 8/9/16)
Bloomberg Headline: “E-Mails By Clinton Aides Show State-Foundation Links” (Ben Brody, “E-Mails By Clinton Aides Show State-Foundation Links,” Bloomberg, 8/9/16)
CBS News Headline: “Emails Show Links Between State Department And Clinton Foundation” (Reena Flores, “Emails Show Links Between State Department And Clinton Foundation,” CBS News, 8/10/16)
CNN Headline: “Newly Released Clinton Emails Shed Light On Relationship Between State Dept. And Clinton Foundation” (Daniella Diaz, “Newly Released Clinton Emails Shed Light On Relationship Between State Dept. And Clinton Foundation,” CNN, 8/10/16)
The New York Post Headline: “Emails Reveal Hillary’s Shocking Pay-For-Play Scheme” (Daniel
In The Last Two Days A Number Of Major Editorial Boards Have Called On Clinton To Shut Down Due To Conflicts Of Interest:
Charlotte Observer Editorial Headline: “The Clintons Should Sever Ties With The Clinton Foundation”
Tonight Hillary Clinton Claimed There Was No Conflicts Of Interest While She Was At State, But Reams Of Reporting And Editorial Boards Think Otherwise
Tonight Clinton Said There Were No Conflicts Of Interest With The Clinton Foundation:
Tonight Clinton Told CNN That Her Work As Secretary Of State Was “Not Influenced By Any Outside Forces.” CLINTON: “Well first what Trump has said is ridiculous. My work as Secretary of State was not influenced by any outside forces. I made policy decisions based on what I thought was right to keep Americans safe and protect US interests abroad. No wild political attacks by Donald Trump is going to change that. In fact the State Department itself said there was no evidence of any impropriety at all.” (CNN, 8/24/16)
The Media Has Slammed Clinton Due To Conflicts Of Interest Between The Foundation And The State Department:
The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), Which Seeks Commitments From Corporations, “Has Become A Particularly Thorny Subject For The Clintons.” “CGI, which seeks commitments from corporations, other non-profits and governments around the world to tackle problems ranging from childhood obesity to Ebola, has become a particularly thorny subject for the Clintons.” (Ken Vogel, “Clinton Foundation Of Collision Course With Campaign,” Politico, 1/28/16)
CGI Has Come Under Attack For “Accepting Huge Donations From Foreign Governments And Other Entities That Had Business Before The State Department During Hillary Clinton’s Tenure As Secretary Of State.” “It became a target of GOP attacks for accepting huge donations from foreign governments and other entities that had business before the State Department during Hillary Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State.” (Ken Vogel, “Clinton Foundation Of Collision Course With Campaign,” Politico, 1/28/16)
The Economist: “The Problem” With The Clinton Foundation Is That Appears “Vulnerable To Conflicts Of Interest.” “The problem is that a foundation, which is led by an ex-president and someone who hopes to be elected president by the end of the year, can appear vulnerable to conflicts of interest.” (“Why The Clinton Foundation Is So Controversial,” The Economist, 2/7/16)
- “One Of The Reasons That The Clinton Foundation Has Become Such A Formidable Fund-Raising Machine Is That Donors Appear To Hope To Gain Access To The Corridors Of Political Power With Their Gifts.” (“Why The Clinton Foundation Is So Controversial,” The Economist, 2/7/16)
The New York Post Editorial Headline: “Want A Job? Give To The Clinton Foundation Right Away!” (Editorial Board, “Want A Job? Give To The Clinton Foundation Right Away!,” The New York Post, 8/9/16)
The New York Times Headline: “Emails Renew Questions About Clinton Foundation And State Dept. Overlap” (Eric Lichtblau, “Emails Renew Questions About Clinton Foundation And State Dept. Overlap,” The New York Times, 8/9/16)
Bloomberg Headline: “E-Mails By Clinton Aides Show State-Foundation Links” (Ben Brody, “E-Mails By Clinton Aides Show State-Foundation Links,” Bloomberg, 8/9/16)
CBS News Headline: “Emails Show Links Between State Department And Clinton Foundation” (Reena Flores, “Emails Show Links Between State Department And Clinton Foundation,” CBS News, 8/10/16)
CNN Headline: “Newly Released Clinton Emails Shed Light On Relationship Between State Dept. And Clinton Foundation” (Daniella Diaz, “Newly Released Clinton Emails Shed Light On Relationship Between State Dept. And Clinton Foundation,” CNN, 8/10/16)
The New York Post Headline: “Emails Reveal Hillary’s Shocking Pay-For-Play Scheme” (Daniel
In The Last Two Days A Number Of Major Editorial Boards Have Called On Clinton To Shut Down Due To Conflicts Of Interest:
Charlotte Observer Editorial Headline: “The Clintons Should Sever Ties With The Clinton Foundation”
- “If you believe public officials’ doors should be equally open to all, you can’t be happy with the news that Clinton Foundation donors comprised more than half of the private citizens Hillary Clinton met with while secretary of state. … Perhaps. The Clintons knew they had a problem before the story appeared, however. Bill Clinton has said he’ll step down from the foundation’s board and stop fundraising, should his wife win the White House. The foundation won’t accept money from foreign governments or corporations if she wins. That’s not enough. The potential for ethical conflicts remains too great. Bill Clinton should step down now. The family should wall itself off from the foundation immediately, and take its name off the charity, as it should have when she was secretary of state.”
- “Even the most ardent supporters of Hillary Clinton must concede that the latest revelation regarding her connection to the Clinton Foundation — that numerous big donors to the charity appear to have had ready access to her when she served as secretary of state — doesn't reflect well on the Democratic nominee for president. It's entirely possible that many of these affluent individuals and business owners would have gotten into her office anyway, but the appearance of ‘pay to play’ exists nonetheless.”
- But those arguments miss the point. Americans should always question arrangements that allow the already powerful to gain extra advantage with their government. The Clintons know they have a problem here. Bill Clinton earlier this week announced that if Hillary wins the presidency, he would step down from the foundation’s board. Further, the foundation would stop accepting support from corporate and foreign donors.
- “Bill Clinton last week said that the foundation will drastically reorganize if Ms. Clinton becomes president. It will stop taking foreign and corporate donations, and many of its charitable initiatives will be spun off into different institutions. Mr. Clinton also said he would leave the foundation’s board and cease fundraising for it. It would have been much better to take these measures when Ms. Clinton started at State. At this point, especially given the emerging record of contacts, they are probably not enough.”
- “On Monday, former president Bill Clinton belatedly announced plans to tighten the ethical safeguards for the Clinton Foundation, the family charity, to eliminate “legitimate concerns about potential conflicts of interest.” The plans range from the laughable to the laudable, and they are woefully incomplete. … Ending foreign and corporate contributions is a good step, but allowing them to continue at least through the first week of November looks more like an influence-peddling fire sale (Give while you still can!) than a newfound commitment to clean government. … But the only way to eliminate the odor surrounding the foundation is to wind it down and put it in mothballs, starting today, and transfer its important charitable work to another large American charity such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.”
- “Hillary Clinton’s email problems aren’t going away anytime soon — certainly not before the November election and certainly not after the news Monday that the FBI had collected about 15,000 new emails during its investigation of her. A federal judge ordered the State Department to expedite release of those documents. Also on Monday, a conservative group investigating Clinton released 725 pages of documents that showed a very close relationship between the Clinton Foundation and the State Department despite Clinton's pledge to erect a firewall between them. There did not appear to be any evidence that access to Clinton resulted in ‘favors,’ as the group alleged. But the coziness is troubling.”
- “Hillary Clinton has steadfastly maintained that she kept the shady Clinton Foundation at arm’s length during her tenure as secretary of state to avoid conflicts of interest. … With friends like that, the Clinton Foundation is always in the money. This appears nothing more than an old-fashioned shakedown — or, as Mr. Trump puts it, ‘pay to play’ if you want attention from the Clintons. This email trail is hugely troubling to the Clinton campaign and raises more serious doubts about the Democrat’s honesty. If Mrs. Clinton was willing to hang a ‘For Sale’ sign on her office at the State Department, what’s to stop her from doing the same thing at the White House?”
- “Also on Monday Judicial Watch released more emails showing the close ties between the Clinton State Department and Clinton Foundation. In a June 23, 2009 email, former Clinton Foundation executive Doug Band wrote to Clinton aide Human Abedin at State: ‘Cp of Bahrain in tomorrow to Friday Asking to see her Good friend of ours[.]’ … These latest emails are further evidence that Mrs. Clinton set up her private server to prevent the public from seeing how Hillary and Bill mixed public power with their personal financial and political ambitions via the family foundation. When she got caught, Mrs. Clinton cherry-picked the emails she’d turn over to State and tried to destroy the rest. Meanwhile, everyone important in the world understood that a gift to the Clinton Foundation was a way to influence the U.S. government.”
- “So much for Hillary Clinton’s claim to have handed in all of her work e-mails: Turns out the FBI found another 14,900 — meaning she ‘missed’ at least a third of what the law required her to fork over. It’ll be weeks before the public learns anything about what’s in that dump — but Monday brought plenty of dirt from yet another stash of e-mails, ones that top Hillary aide Huma Abedin sent or received on her clintonemail and other non-State accounts. Brought to light by the good folks at Judicial Watch, these show new cases of special attention for big Clinton Foundation donors.”
- “The latest bunch of Clinton-era State Department emails released yesterday provide a host of instances in which donations to the Clinton Foundation netted the donors access to the secretary herself on an expedited basis. It was a shocking system even by Clinton standards. … Many of the exchanges document how Clinton Foundation executive Doug Band had only to shoot a quick email to Abedin about, say, how much trouble Crown Prince Salman of Bahrain ($32 million donor to the Clinton Global Initiative plus at least $50,000 from the Kingdom to the foundation) was having getting in to see ‘hrc.’ Well, wouldtomorrow be soon enough?”
- “It was necessary, and overdue, for former President Bill Clinton to make clear that if Hillary Clinton is elected president, his global foundation will no longer take money from corporations or foreign governments. There were too many troubling questions and awkward appearances regarding Clinton Foundation donors receiving special access while she was secretary of state. The potential conflicts would become untenable with her in the Oval Office. … But emails – yes, it’s another aspect of the email scandal – have shown donors seeking, and in some cases, getting meetings with Clinton and other top officials. Judicial Watch, a conservative nonprofit group, sued for Clinton’s emails and released another batch Monday. The exchanges include ones between top Clinton aide Huma Abedin and foundation executive Douglas Band about face time for Crown Prince Salman of Bahrain, whose scholarship program gave $32 million to the Clinton Global Initiative.”
- “Corruption: Now that the FBI has found nearly 15,000 more emails and documents missing from Hillary Clinton's server, the strategy is clear: Clinton will admit to nothing even as more emails dribble out, then when the pattern of criminality becomes clear in October or early November, her campaign will sing that it's ‘old news’ or blame others. And Big Media will ignore it. … Put that in context: Clinton's attorneys had said earlier that there were only about 30,000 emails on her server that were related to Hillary's tenure as secretary of state. Now that number has grown to 45,000. Anyone want to bet it won't go even higher from there? Or that some of them will contain national secrets that shouldn't be put on the internet? … Judicial Watch on Monday also released a batch of previously unreleased emails that indicated Hillary's former top aide at the State Department, Huma Abedin, ‘provided expedited, direct access to Clinton for donors who had contributed from $25,000 to $10 million to the Clinton Foundation.’”
[h=6]- AUGUST 24, 2016 -[/h][h=1]GOVERNOR JAN BREWER CALLS FOR SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO INVESTIGATE CLINTON CORRUPTION[/h]"Mr. Trump's call for a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton's corruption at the State Department is a necessary response to an Obama administration that has proven itself wholly incapable of prosecuting one of their own.
The FBI and three DOJ field offices called for an investigation into the Clinton Foundation, but the highly political Obama Department of Justice chose to deny their request. This is the second time that the Obama administration has chosen not to prosecute Clinton's potentially criminal behavior. This is the definition of the rigged system. Only a special prosecutor can investigate the Clinton Foundation fair and impartially." - Jan Brewer, Former Governor of Arizona
The FBI and three DOJ field offices called for an investigation into the Clinton Foundation, but the highly political Obama Department of Justice chose to deny their request. This is the second time that the Obama administration has chosen not to prosecute Clinton's potentially criminal behavior. This is the definition of the rigged system. Only a special prosecutor can investigate the Clinton Foundation fair and impartially." - Jan Brewer, Former Governor of Arizona
[h=6]- AUGUST 24, 2016 -[/h][h=1]CONGRESSMAN TOM MARINO CALLS FOR SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO INVESTIGATE CLINTON CORRUPTION[/h]"Donald Trump is right -- we need an independent prosecutor to investigate the corrupt Clinton Foundation. The blatant pay-to-play relationship between foundation donors and the State Department can no longer be handled by the politically motivated Justice Department while Hillary Clinton runs for a third Obama term." - Congressman Tom Marino (PA-10), Former U.S. Attorney
[h=6]- AUGUST 24, 2016 -[/h][h=1]ATTORNEY GENERAL JOSE FUENTES CALLS FOR SPECIAL PROSECUTOR TO INVESTIGATE CLINTON CORRUPTION[/h]"Seldom do we hear of such politicized decisions from the US Department of Justice. Mr. Trump's call for a special prosecutor to investigate Clinton's corruption at the State Department is the only logical response to an Obama administration that has proven itself wholly incapable of prosecuting one of their own.
The FBI and three DOJ field offices called for an investigation into the Clinton Foundation, but the highly political Obama Department of Justice chose to deny their request. This is the second time that the Obama administration has chosen not to prosecute Secretary Clinton's potentially criminal behavior, they should have presented the facts of the email scandal to a grand jury of the people allowing them to decide if there was any merit to proceed with an indictment.
Only a special prosecutor can investigate the Clinton Foundation affair impartially given the unwillingness of the DOJ, as the central agency for enforcement of federal laws, to act according to its charter. The peoples' trust in our main law enforcement agency has been put in jeopardy. The cornerstone of our democratic system, the laws under which we are all equal, under which we can all live as a society, are being diluted and ignored to a point that will have dire consequences for our way of life as we know it today. This is an unprecedented failure of our legal system." - Jose Fuentes, Former Puerto Rico Attorney General
The FBI and three DOJ field offices called for an investigation into the Clinton Foundation, but the highly political Obama Department of Justice chose to deny their request. This is the second time that the Obama administration has chosen not to prosecute Secretary Clinton's potentially criminal behavior, they should have presented the facts of the email scandal to a grand jury of the people allowing them to decide if there was any merit to proceed with an indictment.
Only a special prosecutor can investigate the Clinton Foundation affair impartially given the unwillingness of the DOJ, as the central agency for enforcement of federal laws, to act according to its charter. The peoples' trust in our main law enforcement agency has been put in jeopardy. The cornerstone of our democratic system, the laws under which we are all equal, under which we can all live as a society, are being diluted and ignored to a point that will have dire consequences for our way of life as we know it today. This is an unprecedented failure of our legal system." - Jose Fuentes, Former Puerto Rico Attorney General
[h=6]- AUGUST 24, 2016 -[/h][h=1]ICYMI: NV AG LAXALT WELCOMES CLINTON TO RENO: “SECRETARY CLINTON’S PROBLEM WITH THE TRUTH”[/h]
Laxalt: Secretary Clinton’s Problem With The Truth
By Adam Laxalt
Reno Gazette Journal
August 24, 2016
Click Here To Read
In the world of politics it is expected that not everyone will agree on policy. In fact, robust debate is key to a healthy constitutional republic. However, the one thing both political parties and the American people can agree on is that those seeking the highest office in the land must be honest.
Unfortunately, Secretary Clinton has failed this test of honesty with the American people repeatedly. Here are just a few lies that disqualify her as commander-in-chief.
First, let us begin with her mishandling of classified information on her illegal email server.
As a former lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, my experience as a judge advocate general tells me that any member of the armed services responsible for the reckless actions Secretary Clinton executed would have immediately lost their security clearance, been removed from any position of authority while waiting for the investigation to resolve, and, ultimately, would be a candidate for a court-martial — not a promotion. Her actions are unconscionable to anyone who believes in safeguarding classified information in an effort to keep our country safe.
Second, Secretary Clinton claims she turned over all work-related emails. Yet the FBI this week discovered another 15,000 work-related documents she hid from the State Department. Her flippant response on a late night show that she had already released 30,000 emails so “what’s a few more?” showed her arrogance. This contradicts testimony she gave under penalty of perjury.
Third, Secretary Clinton has not been honest about her relationship with the Clinton Foundation.
Newly discovered evidence shows foundation donors had privileged access to our State Department and the secretary. Clinton’s top aide was asked to — and set up a meeting for — a major donor of the Clinton Foundation.
This meeting violates the agreement Clinton made herself — to erect a wall between the foundation and the State Department.
However, instead of a wall, she built a bridge — a toll bridge, with the Clinton’s pocketing millions for themselves from foreign governments and others seeking favors from our State Department. This is influence-peddling on an unfathomable scale.
Now Clinton says the Clinton Foundation will not accept money from foreign sources if she becomes president, but can we really believe her?
Unfortunately, there is more.
Not only did Secretary Clinton lie to the American people when she said a video was behind the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, she lied to a grieving mother about the attack. When pressed by a congressional committee about this lie, she callously responded by asking, “what difference does it make?”
The difference, as we all know, has everything to do with her ability to tell the truth. Her record of dishonesty speaks for itself and voters must reject her in November.
“This meeting violates the agreement Clinton made herself — to erect a wall between the foundation and the State Department. However, instead of a wall, she built a bridge — a toll bridge, with the Clinton’s pocketing millions for themselves from foreign governments and others seeking favors from our State Department.”
Laxalt: Secretary Clinton’s Problem With The Truth
By Adam Laxalt
Reno Gazette Journal
August 24, 2016
Click Here To Read
In the world of politics it is expected that not everyone will agree on policy. In fact, robust debate is key to a healthy constitutional republic. However, the one thing both political parties and the American people can agree on is that those seeking the highest office in the land must be honest.
Unfortunately, Secretary Clinton has failed this test of honesty with the American people repeatedly. Here are just a few lies that disqualify her as commander-in-chief.
First, let us begin with her mishandling of classified information on her illegal email server.
As a former lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, my experience as a judge advocate general tells me that any member of the armed services responsible for the reckless actions Secretary Clinton executed would have immediately lost their security clearance, been removed from any position of authority while waiting for the investigation to resolve, and, ultimately, would be a candidate for a court-martial — not a promotion. Her actions are unconscionable to anyone who believes in safeguarding classified information in an effort to keep our country safe.
Second, Secretary Clinton claims she turned over all work-related emails. Yet the FBI this week discovered another 15,000 work-related documents she hid from the State Department. Her flippant response on a late night show that she had already released 30,000 emails so “what’s a few more?” showed her arrogance. This contradicts testimony she gave under penalty of perjury.
Third, Secretary Clinton has not been honest about her relationship with the Clinton Foundation.
Newly discovered evidence shows foundation donors had privileged access to our State Department and the secretary. Clinton’s top aide was asked to — and set up a meeting for — a major donor of the Clinton Foundation.
This meeting violates the agreement Clinton made herself — to erect a wall between the foundation and the State Department.
However, instead of a wall, she built a bridge — a toll bridge, with the Clinton’s pocketing millions for themselves from foreign governments and others seeking favors from our State Department. This is influence-peddling on an unfathomable scale.
Now Clinton says the Clinton Foundation will not accept money from foreign sources if she becomes president, but can we really believe her?
Unfortunately, there is more.
Not only did Secretary Clinton lie to the American people when she said a video was behind the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, she lied to a grieving mother about the attack. When pressed by a congressional committee about this lie, she callously responded by asking, “what difference does it make?”
The difference, as we all know, has everything to do with her ability to tell the truth. Her record of dishonesty speaks for itself and voters must reject her in November.
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Editorial
A pattern emerges
Clinton Inc., at home and abroad
This article was published August 24, 2016 at 2:57 a.m.
- There's a big difference between the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton Family Foundation, or at least we're told. Who says words don't mean anything? Like somebody, maybe Mark Twain, once said, a word can mean the difference between a lightning bug and lightning.
Then there's something called the Clinton Foundation, without the "Family" part in the title. And the Washington Post reported last week that more than half of the big donors to that outfit--those who have given a million dollars or more--are corporations or foreign groups or governments. The Post tallied them up in a feat of investigative journalism the other day. Among the big givers were the governments of Saudi Arabia, Barclay's Bank in Britain, and American companies like Coca-Cola and ExxonMobil. Not to mention the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Brunei and Algeria.
The Clinton presidential campaign now has announced some new, mainly cosmetic reforms to avoid the obvious impression that it would be prudent for both American and foreign donors to invest in the next president of the United States. And that president, it appears more and more likely, will be Hillary Clinton as her Republican opponent continues to self-destruct. How handy to have all those chits in their hands when it comes time to collect.
But why wait till now to announce these supposed reforms? Weren't they just as much an ongoing conflict of interest when Hillary Rodham Clinton was "only" secretary of state? And why wait to announce that they won't go into effect until just after election day? Which means donors could rush to give the Foundation big money just before November's election, when it would matter most.
To quote Jonathan Chait, a columnist who leans heavily to port: This new policy is an "inadequate response to the conflicts of interest inherent in the Clinton Foundation," and shows that Hillary Clinton "has not fully grasped the severity of her reputational problem." Or maybe she has, but just doesn't care. Those of us who watched her rise here in Arkansas will know she's been getting away with ethical shortcuts for a long, long time and the lower she sinks, the higher she rises in the esteem of her fans--or just of those who have benefited from her largesse. "Ultimately," Mr. Chait concludes, "there's no way around this problem without closing down the Clinton Foundation altogether." What, and lose all that money flowing into the foundation from all over the world? Fat chance.
Many of those donations come from more than suspect sources--like Victor Pinchuk, a Ukrainian oligarch whose family led a regime notorious for its corruption and repression. He was responsible for contributing between $10 million and $25 million to the Clinton Foundation, lending his private plane to the Clintons and attending Bill Clinton's big 65th birthday extravaganza in Los Angeles.
Douglas Schoen used to be one of Bill Clinton's political consultants, and he set up about a dozen meetings with State Department officials with or on behalf of Mr. Pinchuk between September 2011 and November 2012.
Strange, or maybe not so strange, how the Clinton Foundation and American foreign policy kept intersecting when Hillary Clinton was secretary of state. Or as a Ukrainian American named Melanne Verveer, who was working for the State Department at the time, emailed Secretary Clinton: "I had breakfast with Pinchuk. He will see you at the Brookings lunch." It's all coming out in the wash, or rather in a lawsuit filed by Citizens United to get a peek at her emails.
Among those emails was one from American ambassador John F. Tefft about a visit to Ukraine by Chelsea Clinton and her husband, Marc Mezvinsky, "at the invitation of oligarch, Victor Pinchuk." To which Secretary Clinton replied: "As you know, hearing nice things about your children is as good as it gets." But for fanciers of Clinton scandals, which could fill volumes by now, it's peeking at Hillary Clinton's emails that's as good as it gets.
Editorial on 08/24/2016
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List Grows of Those Calling for Special Investigation into Clinton Foundation Pay-to-Play Corruption
Yana Paskova/Getty Images
by WARNER TODD HUSTON24 Aug 2016343
As each day passes more embarrassing information emerges about the likely illegal pay-to-play tactics of the Bill and Hillary Clinton Foundation, its donors, and its relationship to Hillary when she was Obama’s Secretary of State. Several days ago GOP nominee Donald Trump called for a special prosecutor to look into the allegations of corruption and now a growing list of high profile officials are joining Trump with his call.
On Monday Donald Trump called for an independent special prosecutor to look into the Clintons’ conduct while Hillary was at the Department of State, demanding that an investigation be made to find out if Hillary gave special favors to donors to the multibillion-dollar charity that carries her name.
Since Trump’s call for an investigation many more joined him in the effort.
Indiana Governor and Vice Presidential Nominee Mike Pence
Naturally GOP Vice Presidential nominee and Indiana Governor Mike Pence joined his running mate in calling for a special prosecutor. “The fact Hillary Clinton’s official schedule was full of meetings with Clinton Foundation donors is further evidence of the pay-to-play politics at her State Department. No one is above the law. The Clinton Foundation must be immediately shut down and an independent special prosecutor be appointed to determine if access to Hillary Clinton was for sale,” Pence said on Tuesday.
Jose Fuentes, Former Puerto Rico Attorney General
Using his knowledge of the legal system, the former Attorney General of Puerto Rico, Jose Fuentes, said he agrees with Trump that only a special prosecutor can get to the bottom of the case. Saying the Obama administration is “wholly incapable of prosecuting one of their own,” and that “the peoples’ trust in our main law enforcement agency has been put in jeopardy,” Fuentes insisted, “Only a special prosecutor can investigate the Clinton Foundation affair impartially.”
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Also a former Attorney General, the Republican Governor of New Jersey was quick to join Trump in his call for a concerted investigation into the Clinton Foundation, saying on Wednesday, “As a former federal prosecutor, the path is clear. The Clinton Foundation must be investigated now.”
Former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer
Along with sitting Governor Christie, former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer also agreedthat the Clintons’ conduct is suspect. Brewer said it is clear that the FBI and the Department of Justice can’t be trusted to investigate their own operatives calling their lack of attention to this situation the “definition of the rigged system.” Brewer added, “Only a special prosecutor can investigate the Clinton Foundation fair and impartially.”
Pennsylvania Congressman Tom Marino
Marino, also a former Republican Attorney General, jumped onboard the call for a special prosecutor, saying in a statement that, “The blatant pay-to-play relationship between foundation donors and the State Department can no longer be handled by the politically motivated Justice Department while Hillary Clinton runs for a third Obama term.”
Ohio Representative Jim Jordan
Ohio Congressman Jordan, who is also the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, added his voice to the chorus of those demanding an investigation into the erstwhile Clinton charity when he called for an “expedited investigation” on Tuesday.
New York Republican Representative Dan Donovan
Rep. Donovan, a former Staten Island district attorney, also insisted only a special prosecutor could find the truth. “The troubling information contained in newly-public emails concerning Mrs. Clinton’s activities as Secretary of State and the Clinton Foundation raise further questions of potential pay-to-play and warrant investigation,”Donovan said Wednesday.
Former Colorado House Minority Leader Mark Waller
“Donald Trump is right — we need a special prosecutor to investigate the corrupt pay-to-play scheme involving the Clinton Foundation and the State Department,” said Mark Waller, the deputy director of the Trump campaign’s state operation and former Colorado House Minority Leader, according to the Colorado Statesman.
Former Democrat Governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell
Even former Democrat Governor of Pennsylvania and Hillary backer Ed Rendell said that Hillary’s actions with the Clinton Foundation “creates a bad perception” and noted that the firewall between the Dept. of State and the purported charity was “ineffective.” Rendell said that if he were in Hillary’s shoes he would not have done what she did as Secretary of State.
As the list of those calling for an independent investigation into the Clinton Foundation grows, some in the supportive media fear it is all starting to frighten Democrat Nominee Hillary Clinton.
MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, for instance, recently noted that calls for a special prosecutor are “getting into Hillary Clinton’s head.”
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by WARNER TODD HUSTON24 Aug 2016343
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As each day passes more embarrassing information emerges about the likely illegal pay-to-play tactics of the Bill and Hillary Clinton Foundation, its donors, and its relationship to Hillary when she was Obama’s Secretary of State. Several days ago GOP nominee Donald Trump called for a special prosecutor to look into the allegations of corruption and now a growing list of high profile officials are joining Trump with his call.
On Monday Donald Trump called for an independent special prosecutor to look into the Clintons’ conduct while Hillary was at the Department of State, demanding that an investigation be made to find out if Hillary gave special favors to donors to the multibillion-dollar charity that carries her name.
Since Trump’s call for an investigation many more joined him in the effort.
Indiana Governor and Vice Presidential Nominee Mike Pence
Naturally GOP Vice Presidential nominee and Indiana Governor Mike Pence joined his running mate in calling for a special prosecutor. “The fact Hillary Clinton’s official schedule was full of meetings with Clinton Foundation donors is further evidence of the pay-to-play politics at her State Department. No one is above the law. The Clinton Foundation must be immediately shut down and an independent special prosecutor be appointed to determine if access to Hillary Clinton was for sale,” Pence said on Tuesday.
Jose Fuentes, Former Puerto Rico Attorney General
Using his knowledge of the legal system, the former Attorney General of Puerto Rico, Jose Fuentes, said he agrees with Trump that only a special prosecutor can get to the bottom of the case. Saying the Obama administration is “wholly incapable of prosecuting one of their own,” and that “the peoples’ trust in our main law enforcement agency has been put in jeopardy,” Fuentes insisted, “Only a special prosecutor can investigate the Clinton Foundation affair impartially.”
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Also a former Attorney General, the Republican Governor of New Jersey was quick to join Trump in his call for a concerted investigation into the Clinton Foundation, saying on Wednesday, “As a former federal prosecutor, the path is clear. The Clinton Foundation must be investigated now.”
Former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer
Along with sitting Governor Christie, former Arizona Governor Jan Brewer also agreedthat the Clintons’ conduct is suspect. Brewer said it is clear that the FBI and the Department of Justice can’t be trusted to investigate their own operatives calling their lack of attention to this situation the “definition of the rigged system.” Brewer added, “Only a special prosecutor can investigate the Clinton Foundation fair and impartially.”
Pennsylvania Congressman Tom Marino
Marino, also a former Republican Attorney General, jumped onboard the call for a special prosecutor, saying in a statement that, “The blatant pay-to-play relationship between foundation donors and the State Department can no longer be handled by the politically motivated Justice Department while Hillary Clinton runs for a third Obama term.”
Ohio Representative Jim Jordan
Ohio Congressman Jordan, who is also the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, added his voice to the chorus of those demanding an investigation into the erstwhile Clinton charity when he called for an “expedited investigation” on Tuesday.
New York Republican Representative Dan Donovan
Rep. Donovan, a former Staten Island district attorney, also insisted only a special prosecutor could find the truth. “The troubling information contained in newly-public emails concerning Mrs. Clinton’s activities as Secretary of State and the Clinton Foundation raise further questions of potential pay-to-play and warrant investigation,”Donovan said Wednesday.
Former Colorado House Minority Leader Mark Waller
“Donald Trump is right — we need a special prosecutor to investigate the corrupt pay-to-play scheme involving the Clinton Foundation and the State Department,” said Mark Waller, the deputy director of the Trump campaign’s state operation and former Colorado House Minority Leader, according to the Colorado Statesman.
Former Democrat Governor of Pennsylvania Ed Rendell
Even former Democrat Governor of Pennsylvania and Hillary backer Ed Rendell said that Hillary’s actions with the Clinton Foundation “creates a bad perception” and noted that the firewall between the Dept. of State and the purported charity was “ineffective.” Rendell said that if he were in Hillary’s shoes he would not have done what she did as Secretary of State.
As the list of those calling for an independent investigation into the Clinton Foundation grows, some in the supportive media fear it is all starting to frighten Democrat Nominee Hillary Clinton.
MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell, for instance, recently noted that calls for a special prosecutor are “getting into Hillary Clinton’s head.”
All of this talk of a special prosecutor is silly. First the DOJ won't do it. Second if they did
there isn't enough time to investigate and lastly even if the special prosecutor found wrong doing
the DOJ wouldn't act on it anyway.
We're one small step from becoming a banana republic.
there isn't enough time to investigate and lastly even if the special prosecutor found wrong doing
the DOJ wouldn't act on it anyway.
We're one small step from becoming a banana republic.
