Clinton Foundation Gift Attracts Scrutiny

January 05, 2009

Clinton Foundation Gift Attracts Scrutiny

Former President Bill Clinton’s foundation received a $100,000 donation in November 2004 from a New York developer whose mall project received millions of dollars in federal assistance around the same time it secured the help of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, reports The New York Times.

Weeks before the donation was made, Mrs. Clinton helped establish legislation that allowed Robert J. Congel to use tax-exempt bonds to help pay for the construction of the Destiny USA entertainment and shopping complex in Syracuse, N.Y. About nine months after the donation was made, she also helped obtain a provision in a highway bill that allocated $5-million for Destiny USA roadway construction.

Mr. Congel and Philippe Reines, a spokesman for Mrs. Clinton, both said there was no connection between Mr. Congel’s gift and her legislative efforts on behalf of his project. Mr. Reines said Mrs. Clinton supported the project “purely as part of her unwavering commitment to improving upstate New York’s struggling economy, and nothing more.”

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Comments

The Clinton Foundation has undoubtedly made a tremendous difference by lowering the cost of AIDS medicines globally. That is where for the most part their value ends. The impact of the Foundation’s AIDS work has been seriously questioned. Here are some of the reasons why:

1) Organizations and governments that have partnered with the Clinton Foundation in the field cite their focus on achieving numbers of patients on treatment at the expense of quality of care (adherence) as a major criticism. They have been known to try to put as many patients on treatment as possible (including children) and disregard the importance of adherence and patient follow up, which can and has had a damaging impact given the potent nature of antiretroviral treatment. This has been cause for some organizations and department of health divisions to break their partnership with the Clinton Foundation.

2) Their Foundation staff put off local organizations and governments with their arrogance and lack of value add. Most of their staff are business types who know little about healthcare and lack genuine commitment beyond padding their resumes.

3) A significant amount of all of the money that Bill Clinton—who has very little to do with the daily operations of the foundation beyond making appearances— raises does not actually get channelled into charity work.

4) The Foundation exploits young people often playing on their goodwill to get them to volunteer while more senior staff waste money through their globe trotting. The Chairman does not get a salary, but he is filthy rich anyway.

The Gates Foundation and other donors should provide funding directly to national governments, NGOs and others instead of wasting their money on the questionable activities of the Clinton Foundation.

— MSTWR Jan 9, 08:42 PM #

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