CLINTON CONFIRMATION: Dick Lugar Comes Back In On The Clinton Foundation
Jul 31, 20201M Shares14.9M Views
Sen. Dick Lugar (R-Ind.) returns to the “perception” problem with respect to the Clinton Foundation, raising the need for the foundation to “forswear new foreign donations” when Clinton is secretary of state. “This was bound to be a dilemma from the moment that the President-elect asked you to be secretary of state,” Lugar points out, respectfully.
He adds that he will vote to confirm Clinton but asks for more information. Can the Clinton Foundation disclose all donations of $50,000 or more immediately, rather than annually, from foreign contributors? And submit all those pledges for State Department ethics review? “If there is to be a dispute, somebody makes a gift, let’s be up front and make an argument about it presently … And therefore if it’s not a good idea, it’s stopped” so it doesn’t end up a cloud overhanging Clinton’s tenure as secretary.
Clinton says she appreciates Lugar’s “good faith” and agrees on the need for “transparency.” She reminds that neither Clinton takes a salary from the Foundation, and emphasizes that “none of the [money] stays in the Foundation,” but rather helps raise money for government aid programs globally. “It has an extremely low percentage that goes to overhead.” The agreement worked out “is in the best interest of appearing free of conflict.” She gives Lugar a personal pledge to keep a close eye on the Foundation’s activities, which can’t possibly please a skeptic. “We’ve tried to do the very best we could.”
Smiling — he’s apparently embarrassed to raise the point — Lugar says the situation with Clinton and the Foundation is “unprecedented,” and once more pleas for Clinton to ensure the Foundation to turn down foreign contributions. “I guarantee that I will remain very sensitive to this,” Clinton says, ending Lugar’s questioning time.
Paolo Reyna
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Paolo Reyna is a writer and storyteller with a wide range of interests. He graduated from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Media Studies.
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