Bill Clinton Didn't Go To Charity's Fundraiser Until $500K Donation Was Made To Clinton Foundation

[Green Forest]

“The Clinton Foundation had rejected the Happy Hearts Fund invitation more than once, until there was a thinly veiled solicitation and then the offer of an honorarium,” Sue Royal, the former executive director of the Happy Hearts Fund, told The NY Times.

“This is primarily a small but telling example of the way the Clintons operate,” said Doug White, who directs the master’s program in fund-raising management at Columbia University. “The model has responsibility; she paid a high price for a feel-good moment with Bill Clinton. But he was riding the back of this small charity for what? A half-million bucks? I find it — what would be the word? — distasteful.”

Happy Hearts collaborated more expeditiously in Haiti with the Digicel Foundation, whose founder, the Irish billionaire Denis O’Brien, is a multimillion-dollar supporter of the Clinton Foundation and whose parent telecommunications company benefited from grants from Mrs. Clinton’s State Department.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/30/us/politics/an-award-for-bill-clinton-came-with-500000-for-his-foundation.html

Clinton Foundation Bills Small Charity for Big Donation

Six months after Bill Clinton accepted a lifetime achievement award at the Happy Hearts Fund gala in June 2014, the Clinton Foundation sent this invoice to the charity, run by the model Petra Nemcova. It sought to collect a $500,000 donation, equal to almost a quarter of the gala’s net proceeds. (The foundation’s bank account number, wire routing number and tax identification number have been redacted.)

Take a look: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/30/us/politics/clinton-foundation-bills-small-charity-for-big-donation.html

I can't see President Obama shaking down small charities after he leaves office.

[jberryhill]

1. "equal to almost a quarter of the gala’s net proceeds"

Boy, I wish someone would shake me down and leave me $1.5M ahead.

[Green Forest]

2. $500,000 would have built 10 schools, according to the article.

I have volunteered and continue to volunteer at charity fundraisers, all of whom make more than that in an evening. I do not accept a penny for my presence and hard work.

[Punkingal]

3. Why in the hell would anyone pay him $500K? And why would he accept it?

It is obscene.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. Some habits are hard to break?

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. More from the article - not just Distasteful, but disgusting.

<snip>
Happy Hearts Fund first asked Mr. Clinton to be its honoree in 2011. Trying again in 2013, Ms. Nemcova sent her first formal letter of invitation in July, asking Mr. Clinton to be the primary award recipient at a Happy Hearts gala on Nov. 4, 2013, celebrating Indonesia.

Mr. Clinton’s scheduler replied with a cordial rejection — “Regrettably, he is committed to another event out of town that same evening” — in an email copied to Frank Giustra, the Canadian mining financier who is one of the Clinton Foundation’s largest donors and also a supporter of Ms. Nemcova.

Ms. Nemcova then met with officers at the Clinton Foundation, Ms. Veres Royal said. Afterward, she said, “Petra called me and said we have to include an honorarium for him — that they don’t look at these things unless money is offered, and it has to be $500,000.”

The invitation letter was revised and sent again at the end of August. It moved the gala to 2014, offered to work around Mr. Clinton’s schedule, dropped the focus on Indonesia and shifted it to Haiti, and proposed the donation.
<snip>

Very, very Distasteful!

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[Punkingal]

6. He really has thoroughly disgusted me now.

I don't even want to see his face.

[in_cog_ni_to]

8. I'm right there with you! For him to take money from children in Indonesia and Haiti?

Are you effing kidding me? What kind of person does that? It's sick and GREEDY!

It's disgusting.

PEACE
LOVE
BERNIE

[Punkingal]

9. It just embarrasses me now how wonderful I used to think he was.

Last edited Tue Jan 12, 2016, 07:59 AM - Edit history (1)

I swallowed it all, hook, line and sinker. And while I still think the women are off-limits, I don't think this kind of stuff is. Makes me wonder about a lot of things, too.

[roguevalley]

14. its sociopathic, the lack of empathy this describes. I have come over time to believe

he's a piece of work given his treatment of women but this takes it doesn't it. Imagine that man in the white house again. Imagine all of this shit coming out when he is. And probably worse. Nothing like putting your entitled hands in the money water and stealing it from hungry and homeless children. I would have told him to go f himself.

[hedda_foil]

15. Me too, Punkingal, me too.

I insisted that every accusation against was a right wing lie. I .can't tell you how a sham of that I am.

[Punkingal]

16. Well, hedda, as least we saw the light. Guess we can feel good about that.

[hedda_foil]

18. True, and clearly not everyone has seen it.

[Duval]

19. Punkingal, you aren't alone. Back in the 90's I watched his

appearance pushing NAFTA, and he was so sincere (it seemed). I was ALL FOR IT, being the idealistic lady I was back then. We are just beginning to learn about so many things. It's so sad, and it is making me angry!

[Punkingal]

21. Well, Duval, I confess to getting angry every time I see his face. And listen to his voice.

I consider him responsible for beginning the ruination of the Democratic party. The fact that he is so chummy with Bush now, the greed talked about in this OP, the clear sense of entitlement. UGH! And now we are going to have to listen to the BIMBO history all over again! I despise him for that, too. We will have to hear about that, instead of the stupidity of endless war and the greed of the 1% and the death of the middle class. And you know what, I don't think the Clintons care....I think they are counting on the Bimbo stuff helping them.

[840high]

11. yuck

[polichick]

7. That's how the game is played. Obama will probably just sign on with his pal Jamie Dimon.

[Green Forest]

23. Doubt it. President Obama hates fundraising and schmoozing. He is not a greedy sleezebag and does not play "the game".

He will take the path of Jimmy Carter.

[Art_from_Ark]

24. So why did he spend so much political capital

to get the TPA passed, and with mostly Republican help at that? (And note, it will still be in effect for 4 years after Obama leaves office)

[polichick]

25. He most certainly does play the game - his admin. is filled with...

corporate hacks.

[Green Forest]

32. You're moving the goalpost. My OP details Bill's pay-to-play "charitable" schtick.

A former South Side Chicago community organizer right out of Columbia is not going to be a greedy sleezebag when he leaves office. If you know anything about their history, you would realize that about the Obama's.

[polichick]

33. You posted a statement about what you can't see Obama doing...

I commented on what I see him doing instead.

[Scuba]

10. Shameful.

[Green Forest]

31. Yes it is.

However, to the Clintons and their fans, this type of amoral greed is acceptable.

That, in a nutshell, illustrates the stark divide between us and them.

We are fighting for the soul of the Democratic Party, trying to wrest it away from the DLC ghouls who have dismantled The Party of FDR.

[azmom]

12. That's fucked up. Bill and Hillary

are morally bankrupt.

[reformist2]

29. They do seem to be like a couple of grifters at times, don't they....

Here's a sample deleted e-mail (what follows is just a parody, for the parody/sarcasm impaired):

Hey Denis....Just have your "charity" donate some money to our "charity" - we're still calling them that, right? LOL! Anyway, nothing much - just $500K or so, and then I'm sure your get clearance from Hill - I mean State - on that merger you wanted to go through. You might say we'll all have Happy Hearts! LOL

[Ichingcarpenter]

13. Legal? yes Ethically? no

This is the Clintons I know.

[AzDar]

17. ...

[pnwmom]

20. And the Happy Hearts Foundation was happy because they STILL made money

and the money they donated to his charity is going to causes they believe in.

Sounds like a win-win to me.

"The Happy Hearts Fund and the Clinton Foundation “have a shared goal of providing meaningful help to Haiti,” the school charity’s spokeswoman said. “We believe that we can create the most impactful change by working together.”

SNIP

“Understanding the need and commitment to ‘rebuilding better,’ Happy Hearts Fund would like to also share the proceeds of the event with the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation, committing at least $500,000 in partnership on a joint educational project in Haiti, of your selection,” Ms. Nemcova wrote, ending with her customary sign-off, “Lots of Love, Light and Laughter.”

[restorefreedom]

22. this is how the 0.001% operates

its never enough. it will trickle down.and my fave, they still got their funds, so everybody wins

pass barf bag, please

my opinion of both of them has changed drastically in recent months.

[Uncle Joe]

26. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Green Forest.

[Thinkingabout]

27. We have a candidate who speaks about taking more from the rich

To give to the poor, here is Bill Clinton who has established a foundation, raises money for the foundation, gives the proceeds to the poor to enhance their lives, get medications to people who are dying and in this case funds to Haitians and you want to criticize this? You can't have this both ways, in fact Sanders should be out helping raise money for foundations like the CGI.

[peacebird]

28. Quid Pro Quo? Pay to Play? Donate millions to Clinton Foundations and Sec of State Hillary helps you

"...a multimillion-dollar supporter of the Clinton Foundation and whose parent telecommunications company benefited from grants from Mrs. Clinton’s State Department."

[reformist2]

30. No, no, no. It's just "charities" giving to other "charities", lol.