“Citing CNN, which broke the story Monday, Fox said the probe relates to a “$120,000 donation from Chinese businessman Wang Wenliang through his USA businesses.
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McAuliffe was not made aware of the investigation by the federal officials, according to the report.
McAuliffe was co-chairman of Clinton’s 1996 re-election campaign and chairman of Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential bid.
“Contributions to the campaign from Mr. Wang were completely lawful”.
Spokespeople at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Justice Department declined comment Monday.
McAuliffe – a longtime ally of Bill and Hillary Clinton and a prolific fundraiser – worked as an unpaid director for the Clinton Foundation until he was elected governor.
CNN reported on Monday that an ongoing Department of Justice corruption probe targeting McAuliffe is examining his tenure on the board of the Clinton Global Initiative, a foundation offshoot. Given the Times’ own complicity in the endless search to find something (anything!) on either Clinton, I’m not convinced the paper won’t go along for the ride again.
In addition to contributing to McAuliffe, Wang also has also pledged $2 million to the Clinton Foundation.
The donation McAuliffe referred to was a check of $120,000 from a Chinese businessman named Wang Wenliang.
McAuliffe, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee, was elected as Virginia governor in 2013. Its existence could not be confirmed by McAuliffe’s campaign.
The U.S. Justice Department declined comment.
“Indirectly the Clinton Foundation has political influence, that’s why people give to it”, Jim Mann, former Beijing bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, told CBS.
The governor’s office told CNN, which broke the story, that it was not aware the investigation was under way and that it would cooperate if asked.
Wang’s contribution is apparently only one of several the Federal Bureau of Investigation is looking at.
“Foreign nationals are prohibited from making any contributions or expenditures in connection with any election in the US …”
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The former governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell, was convicted in 2014 of accepting more than $165,000 in gifts and loans from a wealthy businessman in exchange for promoting a dietary supplement. “The contribution came in, and they have unequivocally said he was entitled to write a check, so he wrote a check”.
