Subject: Peter Huffman Op-Ed
From: Adrienne Elrod <[email-masked]>
To: John Podesta <[email-masked]>
Cc: Sara Latham <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 5 Oct 2015 14:37:47 -0400

John -

You may recall connecting Peter Huffman and me a few months ago, b/c he
wanted to draft an op-ed defending the CF from attacks.

Finally....we have an op-ed that ran in The Hill over the weekend. Woohoo.
Better late than never!

*The Hill: The Clinton Foundation does life-changing work worldwide
<http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/presidential-campaign/255654-the-clinton-foundation-does-life-changing-work>*

By Peter Huffman

Over the weekend, the Clinton Global Initiative, an initiative of the Bill,
Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation, held its annual meeting—a gathering
of leaders in business and government, global leaders and individuals who
come together to address some of the greatest challenges faced by
communities and to build a better future for people the world over.

The foundation’s annual meeting, however, received little attention from
the media—instead, news outlets and national political reporters pursued
stories about Bill Clinton preparing to hit the campaign trail and a
right-wing conspiracy to undercut Hillary Clinton’s presidential bid. This
is characteristic of the coverage the Clinton Foundation has received in
recent months. Some in the media and in political circles, for example,
have questioned why the Clinton Foundation would accept foreign donations.
The illogical conclusion, to which many have subscribed, is that foreign
governments were somehow buying influence while Hillary Clinton was in the
State Department, which is simply not true. The logical, simple truth is
that because this public charity operates around the world, it makes sense
that its donors come from around the world. And, partnering with people and
organizations around the world gets life-changing results.

In fairness to the media, when a public charity bears the name of a former
president and a current presidential candidate, it must guard against
potential conflicts of interest and act transparently, but that’s exactly
what the Clinton Foundation does. What often goes unreported in the news is
how the Clinton Foundation voluntarily discloses its donors, shares
financial documents, and posts all tax forms publicly via its website. And,
when Secretary Clinton was at the State Department, the Clinton Foundation
put in place clear accountability measures to ensure there were no
conflicts of interest by foreign donors. Moving forward, the Foundation has
put in place even stricter policies, only allowing a select list of foreign
countries that previously supported the Foundation to continue giving
during the 2016 campaign.

The numbers and figures that often go unreported put the life-changing work
of the Clinton Foundation in a context that matters. Today, for example,
almost 10 million people in more than 70 countries have access to
life-saving medicines through the Clinton Health Access Initiative(CHAI).
In the U.S. 17 million children in more than 29,000 schools now have
healthier food and more physical activity options. And through the Clinton
Global Initiative, partners have made nearly 3,200 Commitments to Action
that have improved the lives of over 430 million people in more than 180
countries.

Because of its commitment to put resources to work, the impact of the
Clinton Foundation extends far beyond lifesaving HIV treatments. In
Ethiopia alone, where I lived for three years and started the Foundation’s
country program, the Clinton Health Access Initiative has worked to prevent
mother-to-child transmission to prevent new HIV infections and offer
treatment for children. Today in Ethiopia, Clinton Foundation staff
continue to work closely with the Ministry of Health on initiatives
including a maternal and child health program to reduce mortality at birth,
and the CHAI Vaccines program that prevents more than 50,000 deaths among
children each year in partnering countries.

Despite the efficacy of the Clinton Foundation, some have questioned why
people give time and resources to support this work. They imply there must
be an ulterior motive behind charitable giving and that it’s somehow
unthinkable to support charitable work in underserved communities. How
cynical must we be, to see positive change in places like Ethiopia, but
question the motives of those who give to support it?

The work of the Clinton Foundation stands on its own. We shouldn’t let
global good become subject of failed reporting or a casualty of political
rhetoric. Organizations like the Clinton Foundation can do good precisely
because of the generosity of donors. As it improves lives in the United
States and around the world, the Clinton Foundation provides a great model
of public leadership.

It’s the kind of leadership that inspires people to get involved and to
give. It’s the kind of leadership that can bring us together to meet
critical needs. If, as scholars suggest, meaningful service is key to a
great post-presidential career, then this is the kind of leadership for
which President Clinton can be highly regarded. And it is exactly the kind
of leadership we should hope for from the next president of the United
States.

Huffman, a financial advisor employed by Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
Smith, spent five years in Africa and Asia working for the Clinton Health
Access Initiative (CHAI), where he served as the country director for
Ethiopia.
-- 

Adrienne K. Elrod
Director of Strategic Communications & Amplification
Hillary For America
*www.hillaryclinton.com <http://www.hillaryclinton.com>*
@adrienneelrod