Ritzy Clinton Global Initiative Event A Week Before First Debate Worries Dems
“In the debate, Trump will see it as ammunition to batter the Democrat.”
A week before the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in September, the Clinton Global Initiative is holding an event which will be attended by many of Hillary’s favorite one percenters.
Democrats are concerned because the optics of this will play right into Trump’s narrative about Hillary being an entrenched DC insider and influence peddler.
Politico reports:
Democrats fret over timing of Clintons’ charity fete
Hundreds of corporate executives, foreign dignitaries and celebrities will pile into a Manhattan ballroom to hobnob with Bill and Chelsea Clinton next month at their charity’s keynote annual event — just days before Hillary Clinton defends herself against pay-to-play accusations from Donald Trump in their first debate.
The 12th and final annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative will showcase its philanthropic work and also the Democratic nominee’s greatest potential vulnerability — her ties to a sprawling global charity that has accepted donations from Middle Eastern governments, foreign businessmen with checkered histories and major corporations with business before the government.
Some Democratic operatives say they’re dismayed by the timing of the three-day conference Sept. 19-21 — a week before the first national debate and seven weeks before Election Day. They say it’s inevitable that having two members of the former and perhaps future first family rubbing shoulders with the well-heeled and well-connected will provide fresh ammunition to the Republican campaign, even as Hillary Clinton is off honing rebuttals to charges that donors got special consideration from the government while she was Secretary of State.
“Some might suggest that the Clinton Global Initiative is simply a glitzy week of highlighting troubling donors,” said Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf. “Others will see it as an annual event highlighting distinctive international issues. In the debate, Trump will see it as ammunition to batter the Democrat.”
Democrats are starting to get more questions about the Clinton Foundation as well. Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland found himself on defense when questioned on FOX News Sunday:
The Boston Globe editorial referenced in the video makes it pretty clear that Hillary’s media supporters see the Clinton Foundation as a weakness for her.
Here’s more from the column:
Clinton Foundation should stop accepting funds
ALTHOUGH THE CHARITY founded by former President Bill Clinton has done admirable work over the last 15 years, the Clinton Foundation is also clearly a liability for Hillary Clinton as she seeks the presidency. The once-and-maybe-future first family will have plenty to keep them busy next year if Hillary Clinton defeats Donald Trump in November. The foundation should remove a political — and actual — distraction and stop accepting funding. If Clinton is elected, the foundation should be shut down…
Winding down the foundation, and transferring its assets to some other established charity, doesn’t have to hurt charitable efforts. If the foundation’s donors are truly motivated by altruism, and not by the lure of access to the Clintons, then surely they can find other ways to support the foundation’s goals. And in four or eight years, the Clinton family could always form a new foundationand reestablish their charitable efforts.
But as long as either of the Clintons is in public office, or actively seeking it, they should not operate a charity, too. The Clintons themselves seem to realize that. “There’ll clearly be some changes in what the Clinton Foundation does and how we do it,” Bill Clinton said in June. “We’ll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it.” Why wait? The Clintons should move now to end donations to the foundation, and make plans to shut it down in November. Even if they’ve done nothing illegal, the foundation will always look too much like a conflict of interest for comfort.
It’s very telling that the media opts to warn Hillary that it might look like a conflict of interests, rather than just calling it a conflict of interests.
Either way, Democrats are right to be nervous. This will play right into Trump’s narrative.
DONATE
Donations tax deductible
to the full extent allowed by law.
Comments
That’s not just Trump’s narrative.
That’s the logical conclusion for anyone paying attention.
Poor media.
They’re afraid this will put them in a tough spot.
How can they spin this to look good with Donald Trump itching to do his thing?
Donald Trump itchy ; The media as scratchy for the Clintons.
They’re afraid they’ll lose their credibility, unwilling to acknowledge that ship long ago sailed.
Poor media.
Is it just me? First it was the voice I found troubling. Now it is the visuals. I find the photo accompanying this piece disturbing. Why? Increased sensitivity to health related issues? Is somebody trying to takes for a ride? I cringe.
It’s time to end the special tax treatment for all these “foundations”.
They could just be honest, and call it what it really is: a Hilliary campaign fundraiser.
Oh, wait. The words ‘honest’ and ‘Hilliary’ in the same sentence? What was I thinking?
1%-ers, foreign and domestic.
Crooked Hillary received an e-mail from Colin Powell and he said it was just fine for Ritzy Clinton Global Initiative to be held a week before the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Crooked Hillary Clinton.
Everybody does it! Right?
My theory…. On paper, donations are drying up and pulling back, Clinton will “hear the voters” and close down the CGI.
The replacement foundation is already set up inside several untraceable shells and donors have already been given the new routing numbers to send their cash to. The IRS and the DoJ have already flagged the new organization as hands off and mouths shut.
The Foundation was entirely too lucrative for the Clintons and the Presidency is the biggest cookie in the jar. There is now way they will be giving up their graft. These are the folks who rented out the Lincoln Bedroom afterall.
I’d say that is a very, VERY good theory. It would work, too. Unfortunately. It could be spun as a noble gesture, in working to “avoid even the appearance of evil”.
Yes, how perceptive of Politico to notice that when presented with a barrel of fish, Trump will shoot into it.
But the problem isn’t
rubbing shoulders with the well-heeled and well-connected
We’re not Marxists; that isn’t terribly offensive. The problem is rubbing shoulders with the thoroughly corrupt. That is offensive.
If it would make them a ton of cash, this family would hold a foundation fundraiser the night of the debate! They have no fear or shame and consider anything they do to be amenable with law enforcement. Some would label them sociopaths but I am not sure of that diagnosis. Hebrew has a word for this and it is chutzpah. My word is bold-faced arrogance.
She and Bill could both have been rich philanthropic heroes if only she had had the good sense to retire.
Only if they had used the vast sums of money they collected to do actual charity work, which they didn’t.
From 2008 to 2012, the Clinton Foundation collected $500 million in “charitable” donations. Of that $500 million, the Clinton Foundation spent $425 million on administrative, travel, and other expenses. A mere 15% went to charity.
The Clintons are not philanthropists. They are frauds and thieves.
So glad to see Haiti doing so well with their foundations help….
As Rush puts in (see link in side bar) the call is out, donate now and put in big bucks because the price will rise steeply once she’s in office.
That is rich considering the Limbaugh made his entire fortune off suckers like you.
Don’t worry.
The Debate moderators sure won’t bring it up and they’ll cut Trumps mic if he tries to go there.