IRS investigating Clinton Foundation
What? You're not all reading Free Beacon and Daily Caller yet? /s
Look, I've already reluctantly admitted that if one stays clear of anything with Obama or IRS or Terrorist in the title (and DEFINITELY stay away with anything about voting), there actually is some journalism at Judicial Watch.
Before I go on, I just have to say that given this new reality, on a daily basis I am reminded of the scenes from Men In Black where they check the tabloids to learn where the aliens are. Inevitably, the aliens are hiding in plain sight because everyone no one takes the tabloids seriously.
People, we are now FULLY in a tabloid-reality world - it's just the way it is. We're all so far down the rabbit hole that just about any fact or fiction is equally plausible. My poor, crazy brain is running on fumes trying to discern what sources are credible these days since the stalwart news centers have tupsy-turvied on us.
Here's what I bumped into first:
IRS Will Investigate Clinton Foundation ‘Pay-to-Play’ Corruption Accusations
And they cite the Daily Caller piece which is from the 26th, people! Two full days ago, and we've all been in the dark!
EXCLUSIVE: IRS Launches Investigation Of Clinton Foundation
Here's the link to the referral letter.
The letter is addressed to James Comey/FBI, John Koskinen/IRS and Edith Ramirez/FTC and is dated 7/15/16.
Here's the text:
We write concerning the Bill, Hillary, and Chelsea Clinton Foundation (herinafter "the Foundation"). Members of this body have previously expressed concerns about the Foundation's activities in letters to the IRS in May 2015 and the FTC last April. Unresolved media reports raising significant issues of public corruption regarding Foundation activities, American foreign policy, and Secretary Clinton compel us to write again. These reports, along with recently discovered information about the Foundation's initial tax exempt filings, portray a lawless "Pay to Play" enterprise that has been operating under a cloak of philanthropy for years and should be investigated.
First, the Foundation's initial filings with the IRS for 501(c)(3) status appear to prohibit much of its current activity. The Foundation sumitted its application to the IRS on December 23, 1997. The description of its "activities and operational information" notes that it would construct a library, maintain a historical site with records, and engage in study and research. No mention is made of conducting activities outside of the United States, which is one of the codes included in the IRS "Application for Recognition of Exemption" in effect at that time (see activity code 910). As a result, the Foundation's global initiatives appear to be unlawful pursuant to IRS guidance.
Second, media reports indicate that President Clinton served as an honorary chancellor for Laureate International Universities for five years beginning on April 24, 2010. President Clinton was paid $16.5 million as honorary chancellor and Laureate "has been a seven-figure donor to the Clinton Global Initiative. In addition, the International Youth Foundation (IYF), an entity run by Laureate founder Douglas Becker, received over $55 million of USAID grants from 2010 to 2012. USAID operates under substantial guidance from the Secretary of State which creates an appearance that millions of dollars in taxpayer money was channeled to IYF by Secretary Clinton's State Department as a kickback for her husband's generous contract as honorary Laureate chancellor.
Third, Uranium One is a Russian run company that has acquired "control of one-fifth of all uranium production capacity in the United States." Uranium One's chairman donated $2.35 million to the Foundation through several donations, which the Foundation failed to report, as the Russians gained control of Uranium One from 2009-2013. The New York Times reported that former President Clinton "received $500,000 for a Moscow speech from a Russian investment bank...promoting Uranium One stock"after the Russians declared their intent to acquire control of Uranium One. Secretary Clinton was also one of the several Administration officials who approved the sale of the uranium. The intersection of Foundation business, official action taken by Secretary Clinton, and a large payment to President Clinton from an interested party once again smacks of a "Pay to Play" pattern of dealing that personally entiched the Clinton's at the expense of American foreign policy.
The Foundation's activities cannot be ignored given the compelling public interest involved. Just last week the Justice Department indicted a Member of Congress for soliciting $800,000 for charitable causes which were used "as a personal slush fund". The Clinton Foundation collected $337,985,726.00 in contributions, grants, and other revenue in 2014 alone. The Foundation has routinely gone behind its pledge to act in furtherance of charitable causes and beyond the scope of activities indicated in its initial filings with the IRS. The appearance of "Pay to Play" transactions involving Laureate and Uranium One also raise serious allegations of criminal conduct requiring further examination.
Public corruption undermines the integrity of representative government and institutions associated with elected or public officials. However, the failure of government agencies to independently assess and investigate the validity of such allegations can have an even more damaging affect. We ask that each of your agencies review these allegations pursuant to your jurisdictional charge. Thank you for your consideration of our views on these matters.
It's signed by Marsha Blackburn and 40+ other Congress critters.
There is a reply from the IRS indicating that the original letter has been forwarded to the Exempt Organizations Examinations office.
How many investigations can come up with Nothingbergers? I guess we shall see what we shall see.
Comments
Interesting, but don't get your hopes up.
Firstly, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Secondly, I don't see where it's called the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation. It seems to be just the Clinton Foundation. See https://www.clintonfoundation.org/about/clinton-foundation-history
Thirdly, are those typos in the original? Unusual for a professional letter, although not unheard of.
Fourthly, I believe that foundations can be set up to work outside the U.S. There are lots of worldwide NGOs. I don't see anything in the rules about they can only be charitable within the borders of the U.S., https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4220.pdf
Doctors without Borders is classified as 501(c)(3), same as the Clinton Foundation, http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
Fifthly, Bill was still President in 1997. https://www.clintonfoundation.org/about/clinton-foundation-history states that the Foundation began in 2002, after he left office, as the Clinton Health Access Initiative, which is about what I vaguely recall from back then. Not something he set up to build his library. Apparently the libraries actually are a project of the National Archives, paid for with our tax money, to create "museums full of important Presidential artifacts," https://www.archives.gov/presidential-libraries/
So I wouldn't be surprised if Blackburn sets up a big fuss over all kinds of fact-free things. But I also wouldn't be surprised if it goes nowhere.
More's the pity.
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Mostly, what's satisfying is that it's giving someone heartburn
Yeah, I don't know what's gonna stick when it gets thrown against the wall... Nothing really has so far, but there's SO MUCH coming down the pike at this point, something may yet.
I presume the typos are in the block quote... it's a PDF and I couldn't figure out how to import it, so I retyped it with one hand while the kitten was gnawing on the other hand/arm. Typos would be mine. I'll see if I can discern them.
I have seen the Foundation referred to with all three if their names in the past - I suspect they took the names out to remove the erstwhile nominee's name out while she attempts to ride off into the leader-of-the-free world-ship. There's been a big stink about her being absolutely removed from it if she's going to be POTUS. I seem to remember Obama pitching a fit about that. Maybe they removed her name when she became SOS - that would be why I recall Obama's thoughts being relevant.
EDIT: See Charity Navigator info below - they use the three names (and they are correct more often than not). I presume the name has been modified and that is reflected on the Foundation web page but not necessarily other unrelated places.
I have previously worked in the Foundation world, so I have a grasp of the 501(c)(3) stuff.
They call it William / Hillary / Chelsea in the letter. Can't recall if it used to use William or Bill. The name stuck with me b/c I couldn't figure out why Chelsea's name was in it...
'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member
Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton foundation
.
You can see it called the full name on their tax forms as submitted to the IRS.
From the 2014 tax filling
source material
The foundation name was changed in 2013
source here
At Any Cost
Much of our political establishment, media organizations and social elites have so convinced themselves of the alleged danger of Donald Trump that they are willing to overlook the proved danger of Hillary Clinton. Nothing and no one can touch Clinton. This investigation will amount to naught.
She's supported by the
She's supported by the political establishment for reasons such as sharing or wanting to share major donors, not wanting to piss off said major donors or the notoriously vindictive Clintons and/or hoping to gain rewards for said support.
The media organizations owe a great debt to Bill Clinton for legislation allowing them to form virtual monopolies and expect great things from another President Clinton.
The social elites can use Hillary for everything from tax breaks and cost-cutting polluter-friendly legislation to business 'incentives' and keeping wages down, as well as lucrative attacks on and invasions of other countries. Those able to manipulate the markets and profit from crashes appreciate the lack of financial regulation, and endless cetera.
They're using Trump to scare the little people into voting for Hillary, making Wall St. and polluters very happy.
Edited because I missed fixing a word... why am I not sleeping in bed, rather than doing so sitting up?
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
IRS is the new FBI
At best we will hear the IRS do what Comey did: outline the reasons there SHOULD be a case for bringing charges, but we won't.
Vowing To Oppose Everything Trump Attempts.
You nailed it.
"No reasonable prosecutor would bring a case for tax fraud."
Heh. Makes me wonder
exactly how many people in the right wing will be cheering for the IRS if they nail Clinton?
Be interesting to see what Judicial Watch makes of it
(if it happens) - they always have stuff up blasting the IRS. There on a tear about something right now...
'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member
All of them.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
Wonder if they will actually fund it now
And what strings they will attach.
We can’t save the world by playing by the rules, because the rules have to be changed.
- Greta Thunberg
Didn't it take the IRS...
To get Capone?
Another famous crook like Clinton...
I'm the only person standing between Richard Nixon and the White House."
~John F. Kennedy~
Economic: -9.13, Social: -7.28,
YES!
That's one reason it is a great announcement (at least in my fantasy).
'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member
The republicans were questioning the legality of Hillary
using her position as SOS to get donations from many organizations that had business with the state department and the pay to play interference she ran for them. I read that Grassley had questioned if it was legal and wondered why he didn't do anything about it.
I have been commenting on this for over a year or longer.
The scenario was that Bill would get paid to give a speech to governments or other organizations that Hillary's state department would sell weapons to or she would run interference and after each time k the foundation would get millions in donations.
From the first link:
Ah yes, just another right wing conspiracy against the Clintons who have been investigated during their whole careers and always found that they didn't do anything wrong.
Being found not guilty doesn't mean that a person is innocent.
Hillary's supporters are upset with Trump because they say he has been in bed with the Russian oligarchs.
Every time I see a diary about this on LOF, I want to bring up the uranium deal that Hillary made with Russia.
And how she used her position, again to get a deal for Boeing with Russia to sell them jets. And then Boeing of course donated millions to the foundation.
If that isn't the definition of pay to play I don't know what is.
And I haven't seen anyone mention that during Hillary's time as SOS, the Clinton foundation didn't file tax returns.
The charity navigator doesn't give the foundation high ratings. I think they said that only 10% of the donation went to actual charity. They use the donations for travel, hotels and other things for their lavish lifestyle.
Many people donate to the foundation because Bill can use his connections with governments to get them contracts.
The video Clinton Cash documented this quite well l
If you haven't watched it yet, do.
A
The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the dedicated communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction, true and false, no longer exists.
~Hannah Arendt
Is there a Factual Guilt?
i.e. the converse of Actual Innocence?
'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member
Charity Navigator
I thought this info ought to have it's own box.
Link
Bill Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation
'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member
TL;DR version:
The Clinton Foundation is not a charity by any measure used by Charity Navigator.
"When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained." - Mark Twain
It does not say that, although it is bizarre
It just says that no one else does it this way so they don't have criteria set up to evaluate it.
I read it like you did the first time through - years ago, I used to spend a fair amount of time on that site. But it's a neutral comment, not a negative one.
However, since we can assume that it was INTENTIONALLY set up to produce confusion, it's fair for us to be outraged.
But Charity Navigator is not going to speak out against them unless the Foundation got into trouble with the law - it would take that much for them to make a negative statement.
'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member
This was on the WSJ editorial page today
I found this an odd piece to be where it was. The comments are NOT pro-Clinton. It gets hard to tell all of the players apart. I immediately wondered if this was in return for all of the SS#s of the donors in the DNC hack.
The Other Clinton ‘Change’
No one in Philadelphia wants to talk about the Clinton Foundation.
July 27, 2016 6:38 p.m. ET
http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-other-clinton-change-1469659083
Interestingly, when I clicked the link I encountered a paywall
when I put the title in a Google search and went to it that way, no paywall.
However, I tried to sign in to comment, and repeatedly was blocked by the paywall.
If any can get through, please tell them to vote third party, not Trump the other psychopath!
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I'll have to search again
I kept finding links which all went back to the pay wall.
'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member
The WSJ piece was well-written and laid out a very concise
case.
The Blackburn letter, not so much. It looks like they relied too much on Clinton Cash, without reading the subsequent follow-up reporting or doing some of their own independent research or even reading better reporting by a few people, David Sirotta for one
Charles Ortel is a guy who kind of does forensic accounting for his own amusement simply by pouring over public records and finding reporting discrepancies within various filed documents. He notably studied GE. He has turned his attention to the Clinton Foundation and created a website about what he is finding. Just goes to show that like the X-Files used to say, the truth is out there, people just have to ferret it out.
" “Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” FDR "
Meanwhile...
Clinton calls for Trumps tax returns. As if there's some euivalency.
Whatever may be in Trumps returns, I highly doubt we will find any pay to play arms deals or international drug money laundering schemes.
And that's just the stuff we already know the Clinton Foundation was involved in.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
I am prone to think most of Trump's sins are about vanity
There's still evil in him, but tends toward more malignant neglect as opposed active smoting, I think.
'What we are left with is an agency mandated to ensure transparency and disclosure that is actually working to keep the public in the dark' - Ann M. Ravel, former FEC member
Active Smoting,,,
is exactly the mentality.
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
If I can pick a nit, 'I smote
If I can pick a nit, 'I smote him in the past, but I will also smite him now in the present, if he doesn't stop leaving his dirty socks on the kitchen table.'
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
So is Hillary going to release her GS speeches now? Haha!
Didn't she continue to say she would if?
Hey! my dear friends or soon-to-be's, JtC could use the donations to keep this site functioning for those of us who can still see the life preserver or flotsam in the water.
Lol, if she does, they'll
Lol, if she does, they'll have been carefully edited. She may even have people working on that, as she did with some of the emails handed over to the FBI, producing printed-out copies where changes wouldn't be identifiable - before she had her hard-drive(s) wiped with 9/11 and a cloth.
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.
Marsha Blackburn is my congresscritter.
Emphasis critter. Despicable human being although I might be hasty with the human thing. I'll retract that if this leads to HRC resigning to spend more time with her family. They deserve her, we don't.
Marsha is jealous she doesn't have what it takes to pull the shit Hillary gets away with. it's not that she's less ambitious, she's just plain stupid. Sadly, these fucks keep sending back to congress. Her family deserves her too.
I have no desire to be a Smurf so I won't hold my breath waiting for it to produce squat all.
"Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now..."
Here's the crux:
1/3 of a billion dollars in only one year.
For what?
To whom?
The current working assumption appears to be that our Shroedinger's Cat system is still alive. But what if we all suspect it's not, and the real problem is we just can't bring ourselves to open the box?
For what? to whom??
For weapons and weapons technology. to Israel,South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, UAR, Qatar, Al Queda, ... If I were to guess just a few.
Foundation background from 2014
https://capitalresearch.org/2014/09/the-bill-hillary-and-chelsea-clinton...
Pretty good article about the foundation. Here's part of the conclusion:
More at wiki
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinton_Foundation
It's the arms deals that can't seem to find the light of day. Word is half of DC is neck deep in the scandal too. -
http://www.ibtimes.com/clinton-foundation-donors-got-weapons-deals-hilla...
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Damn, that nest of corruption
Damn, that nest of corruption needs the Bern to cauterize it - no wonder Clinton has political support and Bernie was sacrificed to Mammon!
Psychopathy is not a political position, whether labeled 'conservatism', 'centrism' or 'left'.
A tin labeled 'coffee' may be a can of worms or pathology identified by a lack of empathy/willingness to harm others to achieve personal desires.