Rich Zeoli Talks With Editor About Clinton Conflict Of Interest
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- David Sirota, Senior Editor at the International Business Times, claims to have uncovered details to back claims showing companies that hired former President Bill Clinton to give speeches received special treatment while Hillary Clinton served as Secretary of State.
Sirota told Rich Zeoli on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT there is clear evidence businesses negotiating for contracts with the State Department paid President Clinton speaking fees.
"Thirteen firms were simultaneously lobbying the Clinton State Department for policies and contracts while they were funneling two and a half million dollars to the personal bank account of Bill and Hillary Clinton in the form of speaking fees. We've seen a lot of reporting about money into the foundation and the argument has been that's philanthropic money, it doesn't necessarily benefit the Clinton's themselves, it benefits their philanthropic enterprises. This is money that went directly to the Clinton's and their bank account. On the other side of the transaction came, in some cases, lucrative State Department contracts."
Listen To Podcast With Zeoli & Sirota:
He stated there were clear guidelines in place to prevent this type of activity, but those rules appear to have been violated.
"The Obama Administration had them sign an agreement saying that if there is a conflict of interest with a speaking engagement, the general counsel of the State Department had to weigh in and say whether that's okay or not. This seems to appear to be the definition of a conflict of interest. If a company is lobbying Hillary Clinton for government business and paying Bill Clinton personal money, that would seem to constitute a conflict of interest, but these speaking engagements were approved."
Sirota was very critical of the dismissive media coverage this story, and those similar, have received over the past two weeks.
"In the media narrative about this, you keep hearing from Democrats that there's no evidence of a quid pro quo. I'm starting to ask the question, what does that mean? Are you saying there's not actually an explicit email that says, 'give the money to Bill Clinton and we'll give you a contract?" Because if that's the threshold then all campaign finance reporting is, apparently, irrelevant."
