In charity and politics, Clinton donors overlap

Examination shows how fund-raising has fostered potential conflict

Over the last decade, former President Bill CLinton has raised more than $500 million for his foundation, allowing him to build a glass-and-steel presidential library in Little Rock, Ark., and burnish his image as an impresario of global philanthropy. The foundation has closely guarded the identities of its donors — including one who gave $31.3 million last year.
Now, the secrecy surrounding the William J. Clinton Foundation has become a campaign issue as Senator Hillary Clinton seeks the Democratic presidential nomination with her husband as a prime source of strategy and star power. Some of her rivals argue that donors could use presidential foundations to circumvent campaign finance laws intended to limit political influence.
Mr. Clinton himself echoed those concerns this fall when he pledged to make public future donors if Mrs. Clinton was elected president. While disclosure is not legally required, failure to do so, Mr. Clinton said, would raise “all these questions about whether people would try to win favor with her by giving money to me.”

Even so, past donors should remain private, he insisted, “unless there is some conflict of which I am aware, and there is not.”
But an examination of the foundation demonstrates how its fund-raising has at times fostered the potential for conflict.
The New York Times has compiled the first comprehensive list of 97 donors who gave or pledged a total of $69 million for the Clinton presidential library in the final years of the Clinton administration. The examination found that while some $1 million contributors were longtime Clinton friends, others were seeking policy changes from the administration. Two pledged $1 million each while they or their companies were under investigation by the Justice Department.
Other donations came from supporters who had been ensnared in campaign finance scandals surrounding Mr. Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign.
Mrs. Clinton taps foundation's donors
In raising record sums for her campaign, Mrs. Clinton has tapped many of the foundation’s donors. At least two dozen have become “Hillraisers,” each bundling $100,000 or more for her presidential bid. The early library donors, combined with their families and political action committees, have contributed at least $784,000 to Mrs. Clinton’s Senate and presidential coffers.
The foundation and Mrs. Clinton’s political campaigns have been intertwined in other ways. [LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link. , who led the foundation’s fund-raising and sits on its board, is now Mrs. Clinton’s campaign chairman and chief fund-raiser. Cheryl Mills plays a similar dual role, sitting on the foundation board and serving as the general counsel to Mrs. Clinton’s campaign. And Jay Carson recently traded a communications position at the foundation for a job as her campaign’s press secretary.

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This is exactly what I was talking about in another post. Let's pile on the other candidates for their donors but it is perfectly ok for Paul to get money from anyone. A little hypocritical don't you think?

That I agree with 100%

I'm surprised the meida hasn't picked up on the Ron Paul donor thing. Who knows who donating to this guy. I find it hard to believe that it's legitimate. If you have that much support through dontations, it would seem like his standing would be higher away from the internet.

Give them time. The more he grows, the more they will look.

You guys didn't bother reading the article did you?

Some of her rivals argue that donors could use presidential foundations to circumvent campaign finance laws intended to limit political influence.


The examination found that while some $1 million contributors were longtime Clinton friends, others were seeking policy changes from the administration. Two pledged $1 million each while they or their companies were under investigation by the Justice Department.

There is a difference in supporting and influencing. $500 is support. $1 million is buying something.

Your boy is just as guilty as the one he complains about.

The clinton's have been playing this game for a long time. The IRS and election committee seems to be more concerned about Al Sharpton that Hillary.

I had to think back about private foundations. It has been 10 years since I prepared one of those returns. There are questions that pertain to political areas on the return. Donations have to be identified on the return. Section 501(c)(3) (charitable status), have some very strict rules. I wonder how the IRS has missed the news articles here?

Just another example of big government and power. God help us if Hillary gets in the White House.