When the Lincoln Bedroom was up for sale during the Clinton Administration [View all]

[TheDormouse]

--allegedly.

Why do so many Americans question the ethics and trustworthiness of the Clintons?
A large part of it is that the Republicans and conservatives have been gunning for them for the past quarter-century.

But here's the thing:
The Clintons' own actions haven't really helped.

February 1997

President Clinton and top aides were intimately involved in orchestrating a broad campaign fund-raising operation during his first term and explicitly authorized the use of the White House as a tool to woo or reward big donors, according to internal documents released yesterday.

Although the president has portrayed himself as removed from the money-collecting tactics that have spurred congressional and criminal investigations, the records show he took a hands-on role in directing the effort down to small details.

Among other things, Clinton personally authorized a variety of perks for top party contributors, including golf games and morning jogs with him and overnight stays in the Lincoln Bedroom, the documents show. Memos written by close advisers confirm that small White House gatherings with the president were intended to stroke wealthy backers. The documents include references to "Coffee w/Top 20 Fundraisers," "donor events . . . in the White House East Wing" and "servicing dinners (White House)" for those who chipped in at least $100,000....

During a brief exchange with reporters yesterday, Clinton denied trading White House sleep-overs for large checks, saying his motive in inviting contributors to stay at the executive mansion was to soothe the bruised feelings of supporters who considered themselves shut out since his election in 1992....

In (Harold) Ickes's files, the idea of using overnight stays in connection with campaign fund-raising first appeared in writing in the White House response to a Jan. 5, 1995, memo from Terence R. McAuliffe, then national finance chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who outlined several strategies to "energize" generous givers.

Clinton welcomed the idea. "Ready to start overnights right away," he scrawled in response....

Ickes's records show that the White House was also concerned with raising money for the legal defense fund set up to pay costs from the Whitewater investigation and Paula Corbin Jones's lawsuit against the president....

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/campfin/stories/lincoln.htm

So, can you see why some might be skeptical when certain candidates say that their decisions in office have been and will be completely uninfluenced by concerns over campaign or family foundation donations from wealthy patrons and corporations?