Clinton Foundation Received $500,000 From Wal-Mart

[catgirl]

Sam Stein at Huff Post:

Lost amid the blistering pace of campaign news was the announcement, made this past Saturday, that Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer had donated a half-million dollars to former President Clinton's global foundation.

The donation was made to the Clinton Global Initiative University for educational purposes, including funding college students and encouraging universities to engage on issues such as energy and climate change, global health, and poverty alleviation. And they reflect what some observers say is a growing effort by the retail giant to soften its image within progressive circles.

But Wal-Mart, to a large extent, still remains a pariah among Democrats for its poor labor and environmental practices. And a donation of $500,000 to an individual so closely associated with a leading White House candidate, is more than enough to raise the eyebrows of watchdog organizations.

"We are concerned with all contributions that are this large," said Mary Boyle, the VP of Communications at the non-profit, Common Cause. "They are typically used to buy access and influence. Now I think the question here is what is Wal-Mart trying to gain here? Are they trying to gain access and influence to Sen. Clinton, or do they have another agenda, which could be trying to establish a track record of doing better in the causes of global warming and human rights and poverty. So, I don't know what they are trying to do, but certainly any contribution that large should pique interest."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/03/18/clinton-foundation-receiv_n_92141.html

[Johnny__Motown]

1. only 500k? hmm... I thought it would be more

[Texas Hill Country]

2. i am glad the money is going somewhere it will be well spent.

i can understand the concern tho.

[Stephanie]

3. How much did the Saudi Royal Family give?

http://www.nysun.com/article/5152

Top Donors to the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation
November 22, 2004

TRUSTEE LEVEL (INDIVIDUALS)

Sheik Abdullah S. Abdullah
Ewa & Daniel Abraham
Nasser Al-Rashid
Abdullah Al Dabbagh
Jay Alix
Malini Alles
Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley and Smith Bagley
Stephen Bing
Richard Blum
Jeff Cooper
Dr. Issam Fares
James Ferraro
Wallace & Jama Fowler Foundation
Vin Gupta
Patricia Hotung
Walid Juffali
Robert L. Johnson
Michael Lee Chin
Howard & Michele Kessler
Peter Lewis
Joe Morita
Viktor & Olena Pinchuk
Michael Rienzi
Bill Rollnick & Nancy Ellison
Dr. Cheryl and Haim Saban
Donald L. Saunders
Walter Shorenstein
Bren & Melvin Simon
Arnold Simon Family Foundation
Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw
Joseph Stroud
Martin Varsavsky
Ted & Joan Waitt
Mark Walsh
Alice Walton
Gary and Karen Winnick

TRUSTEE LEVEL (ORGANIZATIONS)

ALLTEL
Alphawood Foundation
Annenberg Foundation
Avalon Capital Group
Dubai Foundation
Embassy of the State of Qatar
Entergy Corporation
Government of Brunei
Magna International Inc.
Satoshi Iue (Chmn. Sanyo Electric)
Soros Foundation
State of Kuwait
Taiwan Economic & Cultural Office
Anheuser-Busch Foundation
David Geffen Foundation
Eli & Edythe Broad Foundation
Roy & Christine Sturgis Foundation
Royal Saudi Family
Wal-Mart/Sam's Club Foundation
Walton Family Foundation
Wasserman Foundation

PHILANTHROPIST LEVEL

Victor Dahdaleh
JB Fuqua
Carlos Bremer Gutierre
Gilbert & Rose Mary Chagoury
Dorothy & Lewis Cullman
Myra & Brian Greenspun
Elaine & Gerald Schuster
C. S. Westbrook & Hugh Westbrook
Sydney & Stanley Shuman
Carlos Slim
Katsuhiko Yoshida
Ruettgers Family Foundation
Global Artists
NY HHS Union, Local 1199
Bank of America
Sainsbury Family Charitable Trust

SOURCE: CLINTON PRESIDENTIAL CENTER

[tabasco]

7. This is an incomplete list, of course.

Bill Clinton has refused to release the complete list of Library contributors.

This is the list that leaked before Bubba clamped down.

[Stephanie]

12. Correct. This list was discovered accidentallyon a Clinton Library computer.

And was taken down immediately. We still don't have the actual donors list.

[catgirl]

9. Wow. I've never seen this list

Bank of America? They are so red.????

[Beacool]

4. So what?

If true, who cares? The Clinton Foundation is doing a great deal of good in various countries and in Africa in particular.

[tabasco]

8. So what if politicians get bought off?

So what if the government is beholden to corporations?
So what if no legislation gets passed to help working people?
So what if the ruling elite destroy our democracy?
So what if rich criminals can get pardons but poor criminals rot in jail?

Why does Bill Clinton refuse to show us the list of contributors and amounts for the library?

Why would he hide this from us considering all the money is going to charity?

Are you really this naive?

[meow mix]

5. Easy to buy a clinton

at least if your a megacorporation

[MADem]

6. If you want to play that silly game, an AR company contributing to a foundation run by a Arkansan,

there should be some concern about an individual, a single PERSON, not a corporation, receiving one-tenth that amount as pure profit on a business deal.

Candidates' spouses, being involved with WAL-MART...and making MONEY off them. Hmmmm. Tricky business, that.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/13/wobama13.xml


......$51,200 (£25,700) for her work as a non-executive director on Treehouse's board last year, on top of the $271,618 salary ......also received 7,500 Treehouse stock options, worth a further $72,375, as she did the previous year, when she banked a $45,000 salary from the company.....profitable role with a company that makes money from Wal-Mart, is being closely scrutinised by "opposition" research teams working for rival White House candidates

....

What IS Wal-Mart trying to GAIN, here? Are they buying influence? Or simply doing business? Does it matter where the money goes, to a foundation or a personal salary?

[boppers]

10. Wal-Mart bought and paid for them a long time ago.

Maybe this is just a maintenance fee?

[Beaverhausen]

11. info about the Clinton Foundation

http://www.clintonfoundation.org/index.htm

Wow- horrible, isn't it? :eyes:

[tishaLA]

13. I'm so not worried about that

except that they should have given more. Hell, Streisand alone gave $1 million.