A huge story broke by Politico early Thursday morning exposes how Bill Clinton exploited a federal program for former president to grease the wheels of the Clinton Foundation. “Bill Clinton's staff used a decades-old federal government program … to subsidize his family’s foundation and an associated business, and to support his wife’s private email server,” Politico reported. As shocking as the new revelation is, the “Big Three” networks gave the incendiary story a wide berth during their evening broadcasts.
According to Politico, “This investigation, which is based on records obtained from the General Services Administration through the Freedom of Information Act, does not reveal anything illegal.” But they do admit that it does demonstrate how the former president’s family “blurred the line[s]” between so many aspects of their organizations and duties.
Bill Clinton obtained the federal funds through a decades old financial relief act for former presidents, overseen by the General Service Administration. “The GSA provides all presidents since Harry Truman, annual money to ensure they do not end up in poverty like Truman did,” noted Fox News Correspondent Jennifer Griffin, “$1 million a year under the Former President's Act.”
Even Politico saw the ridiculousness in the Clinton’s begging for cash, mockingly writing, “After leaving the White House “dead broke”, in the words of Hillary Clinton, they quickly raked in tens of millions of dollars from book deals, speaking fees and consulting gigs.” They also noted that Bill Clinton held the record for requesting the most funds from the program at $16 million, he even beat out former Presidents Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush.
Griffin did note that, “Since 2008, President Bill Clinton has given back any funds that he did not use to the GSA.” Quoting a response from a spokesperson for Bill Clinton, Griffin stated:
This is patently false and demonstrably false. The Clintons personally paid for their server. No GSA funding was ever used for a private e-mail server anywhere, and the Clinton Foundation never housed a GSA funded e-mail server, private or otherwise.
Not only did the “Big Three” network broadcasters fail to report on the new Clinton Foundation revelations, but so did their Spanish-language counterparts. Both Univision and Telemundo took a pass on the Clinton-damaging story.
Transcript below:
FNC
Special Report
September 1, 2016
6:09:51 PM EasternDOUG MCKELWAY: After raising a whopping $143 million just in the month of August alone, Hillary Clinton is sitting out yet another day on the campaign trail, while the current vice president and her own VP-pick pick up the slack. But Clinton's optics continue to get worse, with more news today about possible shenanigans involving her family’s charitable foundation. Fox News correspondent Jennifer Griffin has that story tonight, from Cleveland.
[Cuts to video]
…
JENNIFER GRIFFIN: Numerous Democrats and newspaper editorials have urged the Clinton Foundation to stop accepting foreign donations now. This as a new report from Politico accused Bill Clinton of using special GSA funds reserved for ex-presidents to support his wife's private e-mail server. Bill Clinton's spokesman said the server was housed in the president’s Harlem office and was used for his presidential correspondence, not e-mails. Quote:
"This is patently false and demonstrably false. The Clintons personally paid for their server. No GSA funding was ever used for a private e-mail server anywhere, and the Clinton Foundation never housed a GSA funded e-mail server, private or otherwise."
The GSA provides all presidents since Harry Truman, annual money to ensure they do not end up in poverty like Truman did. $1 million a year under the Former President's Act.
[Cuts back to live]
In fact, since 2008, President Bill Clinton has given back any funds that he did not use to the GSA. We expect Vice President Biden to speak here to a group of union workers not long from now. But after taking questions from reporters about the Clinton Foundation earlier today, we're told he will not be taking any questions on the rope line.
