Three months after Hillary Clinton’s stunning election loss to Donald Trump, her family foundation is facing vexing questions about its ability to exist.
“The foundation is still grappling with its place in the era of President Trump,” the New York Times reports. “It faces some daunting challenges: a drop in fund-raising during the campaign; uncertainty about the scale of the former president’s ambitions; and questions about leadership, including how long its president, Donna E. Shalala, will stay, and whether Mrs. Clinton might rejoin the charity.”
Shalala didn’t shy away from the foundation’s fledgling philanthropic status.
“Last year was a tough year,” she told the Times, “because people were beating on us with nonsense,” referencing the media reports of corruption between Clinton Foundation donors, the six-figure speeches given by Bill Clinton, and the corresponding actions approved by the U.S. State Department while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state.
Indeed, mere weeks after Hillary Clinton lost the election, financial disclosure forms revealed that the Clinton Foundation’s donations had plummeted by 37 percent. Reports earlier this month about the foundation laying off 20-something staffers has ballooned to “about 100,” the Times reports.
Much of the Clinton Foundation’s shady dealings around the world while Hillary Clinton was head of the State Department was brought to light through the investigative work of Breitbart News and its Editor-at-Large Peter Schweizer’s bestselling book Clinton Cash.
What’s more, the Times reports, “Foundation officials confirmed on Thursday that two major programs, including one in Haiti, would transfer out of the foundation.”
And according to Congressman Jason Chaffetz, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, the investigation into the Clinton Foundation “continues.”
Nevertheless, Shalala, who served as secretary of health and human services under President Clinton, says the Clinton global charity’s best days are ahead.
“At the end of the day, I think this is going to be as it always was: a creative, dynamic foundation that helps to improve the lives of millions,” she said.
Still, experts don’t share the same optimistic view about the Clinton Foundation’s future as its leadership.
“The big issue they are going to face is to what degree can they raise money now that the Clintons seem to be out of national leadership positions,” said Leslie Lenkowsky, a philanthropy expert at Indiana University. “They have lost a little bit of their luster.”
The organization’s namesake, Bill Clinton, is now 70-years-old and has been out of government for over 15 years. The foundation’s fundraising, which Mr. Clinton spearheaded since 2001, has nosedived in recent years. And, according to Ms. Shalala, the 2016 fundraising numbers are lower than the year before, which were lower than the year before that.
Ms. Shalala, however, expresses faith in the former president’s ability to still raise large donations. “He’s got a lot of friends,” Ms. Shalala said.
Asked if Hillary Clinton is ready take on a more concerted leadership role in her family’s foundation, Nick Merrill, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton, told the Times “We are not there yet even remotely now.”
Daniel F. Runde, a former director of the Office of Global Development Alliances at the United States Agency for International Development described the Clinton Foundation’s viability bluntly: “It’s a damaged brand, but there remains an international demand for them.”
Follow Jerome Hudson on Twitter: @JeromeEHudson
#1: Stoner To: cranky (#0)
"Damaged brand " What an understatement.
" there remains an international demand for them. " = Yeah, a bunch of people want either huge refunds, or Bill & Shitlerly's heads mounted, hanging on a wall like a deer. LOL
BTW, since the inauguration, have either one of them been seen ?
Stoner posted on 2017-02-03 22:30:44 Reply Private Reply
#2: rlk To: cranky (#0)
The Clintons operated a shadow government that was more powerful than the official government by weight of their having held two of the most prestigious positions in American government and having support of a sitting president. Foreign nations and groups donated tens of millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation to cultivate future influence with the Clintons. Donations have dropped a bit, but are still high.
rlk posted on 2017-02-03 22:51:08 Reply Private Reply
#3: sneakypete To: cranky (#0)
Why is anyone surprised their fund raising is in the toilet?
sneakypete posted on 2017-02-03 23:41:16 Reply Private Reply
#4: cranky To: Stoner (#1)
They made it to the inauguration.
And I saw a few staged selfies of hildebeest in the woods.
The clinton whelp seems to be picking fights with conway.
But other than that, it's almost as though they've already been jailed.
cranky posted on 2017-02-04 09:05:04 Reply Private Reply
#5: cranky To: sneakypete (#3)
I don't think anyone is.
But some are seriously disappointed.
cranky posted on 2017-02-04 09:08:17 Reply Private Reply
#6: rlk To: Stoner (#1)
They're working quietly through their agents. They're active.
rlk posted on 2017-02-04 10:10:16 Reply Private Reply
#7: rlk To: sneakypete (#3)
It's far from in the toilet. It's at 60% of what it was with no expenditures incumbent upon them except to sell their bull shit and buy people.
rlk posted on 2017-02-04 10:18:33 Reply Private Reply
#8: sneakypete To: cranky (#4)
Getting her name and face out there,preparing the ground for her "run" for Congress. I put quotation marks around "run" because it's actually going to be nothing but a casual stroll up to take the oath because her family is going to buy her a "Safe" congressional seat where ONLY the Dim candidate can win,and she will be the Dim candidate. Just like they bought the Senate seat from D.P (Not much irony in THOSE initials,is there?)Moynihan.
sneakypete posted on 2017-02-04 20:20:02 Reply Private Reply
#9: sneakypete To: rlk (#7)
Compared to what it was and what they expected it to be with Bubbette! in the WH,that's in the toilet.
sneakypete posted on 2017-02-04 20:21:44 Reply Private Reply
#10: rlk To: sneakypete (#9)
Some toilet. A 100 million dollar toilet. Between what they've already collected and stashed away plus what's continued to come in, They've established a vast political and economic empire.
rlk posted on 2017-02-05 00:07:33 Reply Private Reply
#11: nolu chan To: rlk, sneakypete (#7)
It has the Trump administration watching them.
nolu chan posted on 2017-02-05 01:26:10 Reply Private Reply
#12: rlk To: nolu chan (#11)
It's a little late for that. For years they have been receiving millions with no accounability protected by the people they've bought off with some of it, plus they've had Soros and friends to contribute to it.
rlk posted on 2017-02-05 03:42:19 Reply Private Reply
#13: sneakypete To: rlk (#12)
They are out of power and losing power daily. They are now to the point where they are having to spend the graft they have already received,just to try to stay relevant so they can get more in the future.
Yet you act like they are still booming.
What is YOUR solution to this problem,other than to whine about it?
sneakypete posted on 2017-02-05 08:44:09 Reply Private Reply
#14: nolu chan To: rlk (#12)
It may be difficult, even dangerous, to attempt to continue business as usual with different oversight. The foundations took in a fortune, but it may be time to disappear.
nolu chan posted on 2017-02-05 23:43:08 Reply Private Reply