Why didn’t the Democrats even mention the Clinton Foundation?
By Post Editorial Board July 29, 2016 | 9:08pm
In all the Democratic convention speeches seeking to “humanize” Hillary Clinton, something went curiously missing: her work with the family charity.
You’d think Hillary, Bill and Chelsea would want to use the national stage to tout how their family’s $2 billion foundation is “helping improve the lives of millions of people across the world,” as it boasts.
You’d think we would’ve heard from some of the beneficiaries of the “partnerships between businesses, NGOs, governments and individuals” finding “solutions that last.”
But not a word that we can recall. No speeches, no videos, no personal testimonials — nothing.
The silence is hardly mystifying — for the Clinton Foundation carries heavy baggage.
Starting with the FBI’s investigation into whether any “intersection” between the foundation and the work of Secretary of State Clinton violated anti-corruption laws.
Like her role in handing Russia exclusive mining rights to 20 percent of US uranium reserves via a company that donated millions to the foundation. (You thought Donald Trump was Vladimir Putin’s best friend?)
Or the tens of millions donated by the same Middle Eastern nations — Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait — that Hillary has publicly denounced for supporting terrorism (not to mention criminalizing gay sex).
And the Clintons certainly didn’t want to remind voters that the foundation had to amend four years of tax filings to finally come clean about $20 million in foreign donations it took during Hillary’s tenure.
Fact is, mentioning the foundation would have also shined a spotlight on just how the Clintons acquired their massive wealth in a few short years. So, with Hillary’s future on the line, better silent than sorry.
http://nypost.com/2016/07/29/why-didnt-the-democrats-even-mention-the-clinton-foundation/
The
Clinton Foundation (founded in 1997 as the
William J. Clinton Foundation,
[4]and called during 2013–15 the
Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation[5]) is a
nonprofit corporation under section
501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. It was established by former President of the United States
Bill Clinton with the stated mission to "strengthen the capacity of people throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence." The Foundation focuses on improving
global health and wellness, increasing
opportunity for women and girls, reducing
childhood obesity and preventable diseases, creating economic opportunity and growth, and helping communities address the
effects of climate change. The Foundation works principally through partnerships with like-minded individuals, organizations, corporations, and governments, often serving as an incubator for new policies and programs. Its offices are located in
New York City and
Little Rock, Arkansas.
The Clinton Foundation encompasses a number of different efforts and entities, including the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI, spun off into a separate but related organization in 2010), the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI, split off after 2009 but reintegrated after 2013), Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI), the Clinton Development Initiative (CDI), the Clinton Economic Opportunity Initiative, the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative, the Clinton Health Matters Initiative (CHMI), the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and the No Ceilings Project.
Through 2016 the foundation had raised an estimated $2 billion from U.S. corporations, foreign governments and corporations, political donors, and various other groups and individuals,"
[3] and the acceptance of funds from wealthy donors has been controversial at times.
[3][6] The foundation "has won accolades from philanthropy experts and has drawn bipartisan support, with members of the George W. Bush administration often participating in its programs."
[3]
Charitable grants are not a major focus of the Clinton Foundation, which instead keeps most of its money in house and hires staff to carry out its own humanitarian programs.
[7]Because of this unusual structure for a foundation,
Charity Navigator, a charity watchdog, has said it does not have a methodology to rate the Clinton Foundation.
[7]Consequently, they added the foundation to their charity "watch list" in April 2015; it was removed from the "watch list" in December 2015 after the charity posted amended tax returns and a public memo on its website.
[8] A different charity monitor, the
American Institute of Philanthropy, says that 89 percent of the foundation's money goes toward its charitable mission and gave the foundation an A rating for 2013.
[1]
