Clinton Foundation Foreign Donors

HEADLINE: “Hillary’s State Department OK’d Bill’s Big-Money Speeches” [Politico, 2/25/15] Politico: “Bill Clinton Asked The State Department To Approve A Paid, Videotaped Speech He Was Asked To Make At A Gala In Shanghai,” Which “Raised A Note Of Caution That The Chinese Government Might Actually Be Funding The Speech Or Planning To Profit From It.” “Less than a year after Hillary Clinton became secretary of state, former President Bill Clinton asked the State Department to approve a paid, videotaped speech he was asked to make at a gala in Shanghai, sponsored by a Chinese sports foundation. Wealthy hedge fund manager Kai Jiang wanted to pay the former president an undisclosed amount through a charity fund set up by his wife…But unlike hundreds of big-dollar Bill Clinton speeches that sailed through a State Department ethics approval process while Hillary Clinton served as America’s top diplomat, this one raised a note of caution that the Chinese government might actually be funding the speech or planning to profit from it.” [Politico, 2/25/15] Politico: In Reviewing Bill Clinton’s Speaking Engagements, State Department Officials Struggled “To Get Basic Information About The Event’s Hosts, Their Possible Connections To The Chinese Government And The Financial Arrangements Offered To Bill Clinton.” “In the case of the Shanghai Sports Development Foundation gala, department ethics attorneys exchanged seven emails with President Clinton’s office over two weeks, struggling to get basic information about the event’s hosts, their possible connections to the Chinese government and the financial arrangements offered to Bill Clinton.” [Politico, 2/25/15] Politico: Email Exchanges “Made Clear The Difficulties The Government Faced Getting Information About Bill Clinton’s Far-Flung Moneymaking Efforts Through An Ethics Review Process Hillary Clinton Agreed To” Upon Becoming Secretary Of State. “The inconclusive bureaucratic back and forth — with weeks of emails asking for greater detail — made clear the difficulties the government faced getting information about Bill Clinton’s far-flung moneymaking efforts through an ethics review process Hillary Clinton agreed to when she joined President Barack Obama’s Cabinet.” [Politico, 2/25/15] Politico: “In Hundreds Of Documents Released To POLITICO Under The Freedom Of Information Act, Not A Single Case Appears Where The State Department Explicitly Rejected A Bill Clinton Speech.” “In hundreds of documents released to POLITICO under the Freedom of Information Act, not a single case appears where the State Department explicitly rejected a Bill Clinton speech.” [Politico, 2/25/15] Politico: In Reviewing Bill Clinton Speeches For Potential Conflicts Of Interest, “State Department Lawyers Acted On Sparse Information About Business Proposals And Speech Requests And Were Under The Gun To Approve The Proposals Promptly.” “In hundreds of documents released to POLITICO under the Freedom of Information Act, not a single case appears where the State Department explicitly rejected a Bill Clinton speech. Instead, the records show State Department lawyers acted on sparse information about business proposals and speech requests and were under the gun to approve the proposals promptly.” [Politico, 2/25/15] Politico: A State Department “Ethics Agreement Did Not Require That Clinton Provide The Estimated Income From His Private Arrangements, Making It Difficult For Ethics Officials To Tell Whether His Services Were Properly Valued.” [Politico, 2/25/15] Politico: A Proposed Speech Sponsored By The Chinese Sports Foundation And A Consulting Deal With Haim Saban Are “Are The Only Examples In The Released Documents Where Serious Concerns Were Registered” By The State Department. “The proposed China speech and one consulting deal with a major player in Middle East policy are the only examples in the released documents where serious concerns were registered. The records include requests to speak to investment groups, colleges and foreign entities…. State Department records indicate that the deals with the Bing and Wasserman firms were approved, but the Saban proposal generated resistance.” [Politico, 2/25/15]