On Wednesday, the Washington Post revealed that “[s]ince its creation in 2001, the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation has raised close to $2 billion from a vast global network that includes corporate titans, political donors, foreign governments and other wealthy interests.”
Despite the potential conflict of interest facing Hillary Clinton if she decides to run for president in 2016, CBS This Morning gave the story a mere 20 seconds on its Thursday broadcast. ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today ignored the story altogether.
During the network’s 7:30 a.m. morning headlines segment, CBS co-host Norah O’Donnell briefly mentioned the foreign sources of money given to the Clinton Foundation:
The Washington Post looks at massive fundraising by the Clinton Foundation. The Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Foundation raised close to $2 billion since it was created in 2001. Many of the charity's major donors support Hillary Clinton’s possible run for the White House. Some of the biggest donors are foreigners. Critics say the contributions are a potential conflict of interest.
Even though CBS This Morning barely touched the Clinton Foundation story on Thursday, on Wednesday night, Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier provided a full 2 minute and 15 second report to the potential conflict of interest facing Clinton
Anchor Bret Baier introduced the story by noting that “[t]he woman expected to be on the other side of the ballot come next November is encountering some new ethical concerns tonight. Senior national correspondent John Roberts reports on Hillary Clinton and foreign money.”
In his report, Roberts highlighted how “[e]ven Democrats are shaking their heads tonight at news the foundation that bears Hillary Clinton's name is quietly back in the foreign donations game” before he detailed the extent to which the foundation is funded by foreign sources:
When Clinton was named Secretary of State, the White House asked the foundation to shut the door on most foreign contributions to avoid any question of ethics. When she stepped down in 2013, the newly renamed Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation threw the doors back open and has since collected tens of millions of dollars from foreign governments and billionaires overseas.
While CBS This Morning spent only 20 seconds to the Clinton Foundation’s practice of soliciting donations from a variety of foreign governments and billions, the network spent more than 2 minutes discussing Jeb Bush’s supposed difficulty separating himself from his family name as he weighs a potential 2016 White House bid.
See relevant transcripts below.
CBS This Morning
February 19, 2015
NORAH O’DONNELL: The Washington Post looks at massive fundraising by the Clinton Foundation. The Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Foundation raised close to $2 billion since it was created in 2001. Many of the charity's major donors support Hillary Clinton’s possible run for the White House. Some of the biggest donors are foreigners. Critics say the contributions are a potential conflict of interest.
Fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier
February 18, 2015
BRET BAIER: The woman expected to be on the other side of the ballot come next November is encountering some new ethical concerns tonight. Senior national correspondent John Roberts reports on Hillary Clinton and foreign money.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS: Even Democrats are shaking their heads tonight at news the foundation that bears Hillary Clinton's name is quietly back in the foreign donations game.
JUAN WILLIAMS, FOX NEWS ANALYST: Politically, this is a potentially catastrophic move for Hillary Clinton and, you know, evidence of a big blind spot if she thinks that she can continue to get away with it.
ROBERTS: When Clinton was named Secretary of State, the White House asked the foundation to shut the door on most foreign contributions to avoid any question of ethics. When she stepped down in 2013, the newly renamed Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation threw the doors back open and has since collected tens of millions of dollars from foreign governments and billionaires overseas.
