Bill Clinton defends his foundation, says no wrongdoings

Image
Press Trust of India Washington
Last Updated : May 04 2015 | 8:57 PM IST
Former US President Bill Clinton today defended his not-for-profit charity foundation, arguing that it has not done anything "knowingly inappropriate" by taking money to influence any American government policy.
The assertion comes in the wake of recent allegations, mainly from Republican Party, that the foundation received foreign funding while his wife Hillary Clinton was a Senator and the Secretary of State.
The allegations include that the Clinton Foundation received money from Indian politician Amar Singh when Hillary was the New York Senator when the Senate discussed and passed the landmark India-US Civil Nuclear Bill in 2008.
"There is no doubt in my mind that we have never done anything knowingly inappropriate in terms of taking money to influence any kind of American government policy," Clinton told the NBC's Today's Show in an interview.
"That just hasn't happened," Clinton said, responding to charges that the Bill, Hillary and Chelsey Clinton Foundation received foreign funding to influence the positions held by Hillary.
The allegations are not new, but have surfaced afresh, courtesy the Republican Party, after Hillary Clinton announced her second presidential bid last month.
A book on these allegations is scheduled to be released tomorrow.
According to excerpts released by the publisher, the author of the book "Clinton's Cash" alleges that donations made by Indian politicians influenced Clinton's voting during the nuclear deal.
Clinton, who was also the co-Chair of the Senate India Caucus, had voted in favour of the bill.
The allegations have been denied by Hillary's office.
"'Clinton's Cash' is attempting to rewrite history to fit a pre-determined partisan narrative. It only takes a quick look at Hillary's actual voting record and statements to see that this conspiracy theory doesn't even come close to passing the smell test," Josh Schwerin, spokesperson of the Hillary's presidential campaign, told PTI.
Separately, Singh had also denied any wrongdoing and had claimed he was a victim of "assumptions and rumour-mongering.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: May 04 2015 | 8:57 PM IST

Next Story