Clinton is kicking off the final gathering of the Clinton Global Initiative in NY, where heads of state, humanitarians, scientists and other accomplished or influential individuals come together to formulate solutions to global problems. “I think it is quite different if the Foundation is operating in America, taking no corporate contributions”.
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This week’s event was held under a cloud of election year questions fueled by Donald Trump, who is locked in a close race against Hillary Clinton.
Even in their absence, electoral politics loomed large.
During an interview with NPR, which aired Monday, Clinton opened up the door to Republicans’ pay-to-play attacks by saying that some donors probably gave to the Clinton Foundation to gain greater influence with the Clintons, eyeing a Clinton White House 2.0.
The Clinton Foundation will lay off dozens of Clinton Global Initiative staff at the end of 2016, according to officials with the group. Bill Clinton has announced that he will step down from the board, but their daughter Chelsea Clinton’s status has not been determined.
Hillary Clinton herself is skipping CGI, as is another frequent guest, President Obama.
At its height CGI employed about 200 full-time staff, but many have already jumped ship following uncertainty about the foundation’s future if Clinton is elected president.
Clinton said he’s happy with the work the foundation has done and has changed the way that people do philanthrophy. The Clinton Foundation has previously drawn attention for accepting donations from companies and foreign governments with business before the State Department when it was led by Mrs. Clinton.
Clinton said that “it’s been a perplexing time” for the American economy, but that Fed will make a decision that “will be manageable economically”.
“They didn’t want to be taken for a ride, they wanted to know how they could do something that would have a real impact”.
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And so for 12 years, CGI has piggybacked on the foreign dignitaries and other leaders gathered in NY at the same time during the United Nations General Assembly meetings. Sure there is the appearance of impropriety, but nothing actually happened. How many people have left, however, is unknown-as are the exact numbers of jobs that will be cut at the end of the year. Also, the possibility of those records and devices being available on the market for big bucks could put the Clintons into a rather inconvenient bind. And to hear Politico tell it, it will be an emotional, impassioned defense of the foundation’s work.
