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The
Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation will continue to accept
donations from a limited group of foreign countries - mainly from six
nations in particular - despite the fact that Hillary Clinton has
officially announced her bid for the US presidency. It’s a decision that
could haunt her on the campaign trail.
According
to a policy summary released Thursday, the six countries that will
still be allowed make donations — Australia, Canada, Germany, the
Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom — are nations that already
have a history of donating to the foundation for climate change, health
and economic development.
Clinton stepped down from the board of the foundation Sunday when she announced she would seek the Democratic presidential nomination for 2016, and the Foundation has said it will increase the frequency with which it reports donations to four times a year.
Large donations from other nations will not be allowed, though they
will still be accepted by the Clinton Global Initiative, a subsidiary
of the main Foundation.
Concerns raised during the 2008 presidential campaign that donations to a foundation run by her husband represented a conflict of interest for Clinton while she ran for or held public office led to an agreement that outlined restrictions on foreign government donations.The foundation remained under Bill Clinton's direction during her tenure at the State Department.
Though only one of the donations made by foreign governments seems to have violated the terms of that 2008 agreement, the resumption of donations since the agreement's lapse in 2013 has raised ethical concerns since Clinton was still seen as an almost inevitable presidential candidate.
Some of the donors in 2014 were also seen as politically sensitive, coming from countries with, for example, poor human rights records, such as Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Canada also donated while lobbying for approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
Clinton stepped down from the board of the foundation Sunday when she announced she would seek the Democratic presidential nomination for 2016, and the Foundation has said it will increase the frequency with which it reports donations to four times a year.
Concerns raised during the 2008 presidential campaign that donations to a foundation run by her husband represented a conflict of interest for Clinton while she ran for or held public office led to an agreement that outlined restrictions on foreign government donations.The foundation remained under Bill Clinton's direction during her tenure at the State Department.
Though only one of the donations made by foreign governments seems to have violated the terms of that 2008 agreement, the resumption of donations since the agreement's lapse in 2013 has raised ethical concerns since Clinton was still seen as an almost inevitable presidential candidate.
Some of the donors in 2014 were also seen as politically sensitive, coming from countries with, for example, poor human rights records, such as Saudi Arabia, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Canada also donated while lobbying for approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline.
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Foreign Gov’ts Gave Millions to Clinton Fund While Hillary Was Sec of State
While
Hillary Clinton was US Secretary of State, The Clinton Foundation
received millions of dollars from foreign governments, and at least one
contribution was in violation of a State Department ethics agreement,
the Washington Post reports.
After
President Bill Clinton left office, he set up the Clinton Foundation,
which Hillary added her name to in 2013 after leaving the State
Department. An agreement reached
in 2008 had outlined restrictions on accepting foreign government
donations due to Obama administration concerns that her association
with the foundation might raise ethical concerns while she was involved
in diplomatic activities for the nation.
But at least seven foreign governments donated millions of dollars during her tenure, and though most of those fell under exceptions stipulated in the 2008 agreement, one in particular has raised red flags, as it was not properly vetted.
A donation of $500,000 from Algeria was not cleared by the government and Foundation officials admitted as much to the Post. The money was intended for earthquake relief in Haiti, but the donation coincided with Algeria’s lobbying the State Department on human rights issues. The other six governments who donated were Australia, the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Norway, Oman, and Qatar.
But at least seven foreign governments donated millions of dollars during her tenure, and though most of those fell under exceptions stipulated in the 2008 agreement, one in particular has raised red flags, as it was not properly vetted.
A donation of $500,000 from Algeria was not cleared by the government and Foundation officials admitted as much to the Post. The money was intended for earthquake relief in Haiti, but the donation coincided with Algeria’s lobbying the State Department on human rights issues. The other six governments who donated were Australia, the Dominican Republic, Kuwait, Norway, Oman, and Qatar.
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