Thursday, August 25, 2016

Glenn Greenwald — Why Did the Saudi Regime and Other Gulf Tyrannies Donate Millions to the Clinton Foundation?

As the numerous and obvious ethical conflicts surrounding the Clinton Foundation receive more media scrutiny, the tactic of Clinton-loyal journalists is to highlight the charitable work done by the foundation, and then insinuate — or even outright state — that anyone raising these questions is opposed to its charity. James Carville announced that those who criticize the foundation are “going to hell.” Other Clinton loyalists insinuated that Clinton Foundation critics are indifferent to the lives of HIV-positive babies or are anti-gay bigots.
That the Clinton Foundation has done some good work is beyond dispute. But that fact has exactly nothing to do with the profound ethical problems and corruption threats raised by the way its funds have been raised. Hillary Clinton was America’s chief diplomat, and tyrannical regimes such as the Saudis and Qataris jointly donated tens of millions of dollars to an organization run by her family and operated in its name, one whose works has been a prominent feature of her public persona. That extremely valuable opportunity to curry favor with the Clintons, and to secure access to them, continues as she runs for president.
The claim that this is all just about trying to help people in need should not even pass a laugh test, let alone rational scrutiny. To see how true that is, just look at who some of the biggest donors are. Although it did not give while she was secretary of state, the Saudi regime by itself has donated between $10 million and $25 million to the Clinton Foundation, with donations coming as late as 2014, as she prepared her presidential run. A group called “Friends of Saudi Arabia,” co-founded “by a Saudi Prince,” gave an additional amount between $1 million and $5 million. The Clinton Foundation says that between $1 million and $5 million was also donated by “the State of Qatar,” the United Arab Emirates, and the government of Brunei. “The State of Kuwait” has donated between $5 million and $10 million.
Theoretically, one could say that these regimes — among the most repressive and regressive in the world — are donating because they deeply believe in the charitable work of the Clinton Foundation and want to help those in need. Is there a single person on the planet who actually believes this? Is Clinton loyalty really so strong that people are going to argue with a straight face that the reason the Saudi, Qatari, Kuwaiti and Emirates regimes donated large amounts of money to the Clinton Foundation is because those regimes simply want to help the foundation achieve its magnanimous goals?….
The Intercept
Why Did the Saudi Regime and Other Gulf Tyrannies Donate Millions to the Clinton Foundation?
Glenn Greenwald

4 comments:

Unknown said...

Tom Hickey: I have read a lot of different things about the Clinton Foundation and I don't want to discredit people who are trying but I don't trust the Clintons and I'd like to know your idea about their "charity."

Tom Hickey said...

However one looks at it, there is an appearance of possible conflict of interest. Politically that is stupid, even if everything is on the up and up. So those that do it are either stupid or corrupt. Neither is a desirable in a political leader.

Elites in general just don't get conflict of interest, apparent or real, and I suspect they don't really distinguish between them since it goes without saying that the principle that support is reciprocal us operative in their way of thinking. It's how campaign finance and lobbying work, as well as the revolving door.

Unknown said...

"If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck"

Elites recognize that HRC,Billy et al are corrupt to the core, which is why they feel obligated to pay them millions + to get things they want. At the same time the Elites don't care how it looks or for that matter who knows, ---- why should they?
(See George Soros)

More disturbing is that the MSM as well as the political elite gleefully defend the indefensible.

Sure enough the Public will validate the behavior by electing her President and then bitch and moan about why nothing changes.

Go figure ?

Ryan Harris said...
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