Subject: Re: WSJ | Foreign Government Donations
From: Cheryl Mills <[email-masked]>
To: Joel Benenson <[email-masked]>
Cc: Heather Samuelson <[email-masked]>, Dennis Cheng <[email-masked]>, Nick Merrill <[email-masked]>, Mandy Grunwald <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, Jim Margolis <[email-masked]>, Kristina Schake <[email-masked]>, John Anzalone <[email-masked]>, Philippe Reines <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>, Huma Abedin <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2015 14:39:06 -0500

they can - we didn't; I can't recall if Bush (dad) did.

On Wed, Feb 18, 2015 at 1:54 PM, Joel Benenson <[email-masked]> wrote:

>  The only parallel closest to this would Bush 41 receiving funds from
> gov'ts while his son was in office, is that right? Or did the sitting
> presidents take many from foreign governments for their libraries and
> foundations?
>
>
>
> *From:* Heather Samuelson [mailto:[email-masked]]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 18, 2015 12:48 PM
> *To:* Joel Benenson; Dennis Cheng; Nick Merrill
> *Cc:* Cheryl Mills; Mandy Grunwald; [email-masked]; Jim Margolis;
> Kristina Schake; John Anzalone; Philippe Reines;
> [email-masked]; [email-masked]; Robby Mook; Huma
> Abedin
>
> *Subject:* Re: WSJ | Foreign Government Donations
>
>
>
> To answer earlier questions on this chain --  we looked into foreign
> govt donations to former presidential libraries and foundations a while
> back.
>
>
>
> See memo attached.  Will update to include Bush 43.
>
>
>
> Bush 41 received funds from Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Oman, UAE for his
> library, including while his son was in office.
>
>
>
> Carter Center has received funds from Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE,
> Netherlands, etc.  Unclear if they publicly designate anywhere whether it
> goes to endowment v. specific programming.   Looking into that now.
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* Joel Benenson
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 18, 2015 11:50 AM
> *To:* 'Dennis Cheng'; Nick Merrill
> *Cc:* Cheryl Mills; Mandy Grunwald; John Podesta; Jim Margolis; Kristina
> Schake; John Anzalone; Heather Samuelson; Philippe Reines; Jennifer
> Palmieri; Teddy Goff; Robby Mook; Huma Abedin
> *Subject:* RE: WSJ | Foreign Government Donations
>
>
>
> I will leave all the defensive things to those who have and know the data
> for pushback.
>
>
>
> But there is a much larger strategic question that we need to resolve and
> stop this from spreading beyond today and probably tomorrow.  And that is
> how quickly foundation stops.  Even if we don't announce it immediately, we
> may want to stop immediately.
>
>
>
> Obviously, doing this in the context of an overall strategy we can stick
> with is better than dealing with brush fires.
>
>
>
> *From:* Dennis Cheng [mailto:[email-masked]]
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 18, 2015 11:07 AM
> *To:* Nick Merrill
> *Cc:* Cheryl Mills; Mandy Grunwald; John Podesta; Jim Margolis; Kristina
> Schake; John Anzalone; Heather Samuelson; Philippe Reines; Jennifer
> Palmieri; Joel Benenson; Teddy Goff; Robby Mook; Huma Abedin
> *Subject:* Re: WSJ | Foreign Government Donations
>
>
>
> Just to provide additional context on some of the questions raised below
> (not sure what has been answered already):
>
>
>
> Most of the recent government grants were directed to a Clinton Foundation
> program/project. For example (and we should verify with the Foundation if
> we are sharing this publicly):
>
>
>
> Germany's donation was to support CF's agricultural initiative in Africa
>
> Norway I believe was to support CF's climate work
>
> Canada was for the Foundation's work in Haiti, I believe
>
> These countries were definitely specifically for a CF program: Norway,
> Italy, Australia and the Netherlands
>
> Qatar was for CGI
>
>
>
> The only governments that donated to the endowment were: Saudi Arabia,
> Oman, and UAE
>
>
>
>
>
>  On Feb 18, 2015, at 11:00 AM, Nick Merrill <[email-masked]>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> Adding Dennis here as well.
>
>
>
> *From: *Cheryl Mills
> *Date: *Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 10:58 AM
> *To: *Mandy Grunwald
> *Cc: *John Podesta, NSM, Jim Margolis, Kristina Schake, John Anzalone,
> Heather Samuelson, Philippe Reines, Jennifer Palmieri, Joel Benenson, Teddy
> Goff, Robby Mook, Huma Abedin
> *Subject: *Re: WSJ | Foreign Government Donations
>
>
>
> alot and we have that data - we can pull it.
>
>
>
> cdm
>
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 18, 2015 at 10:57 AM, Mandy Grunwald <[email-masked]> wrote:
>
>
>
> How much money have each of the Bush libraries (or philanthropies) raised
> from overseas?
>
> Mandy Grunwald
>
> Grunwald Communications
>
> 202-973-9400
> [email-masked]
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Podesta <[email-masked]>
> To: Nick Merrill <[email-masked]>
> Cc: Jim Margolis <[email-masked]>; Mandy Grunwald <[email-masked]>;
> Kristina Schake <[email-masked]>; John Anzalone <
> [email-masked]>; Heather Samuelson <[email-masked]>;
> Philippe Reines <[email-masked]>; Jen Palmieri <
> [email-masked]>; Cheryl Mills <[email-masked]>;
> Joel Benenson <[email-masked]>; Teddy Goff <[email-masked]>;
> Robby Mook <[email-masked]>; Huma Abedin <[email-masked]>
> Sent: Wed, Feb 18, 2015 10:55 am
> Subject: Re: WSJ | Foreign Government Donations
>
> I think Carter went on an endowment drive with similar results. Not sure
> who was  currying favor with him. Might have been a few years ago. Don't
> know whether they report.  Bruce Lindsey would know
>
> On Feb 18, 2015 10:23 AM, "Nick Merrill" < [email-masked]> wrote:
>
> Checking on the below and adding Heather as well.
>
>
>
> And John to your question about the uptick relative to other
> philanthropies, I'm sure there was an overall increase post-recesssion, but
> particularly given the endowment campaign our uptick will far exceed that
> of others' increases.  If we get more on this I'll come back to you.
>
>
>
> *From: *Joel Benenson
> *Date: *Wednesday, February 18, 2015 at 9:52 AM
> *To: *Jim Margolis
> *Cc: *NSM, Mandy Grunwald, John Anzalone, Robby Mook, Huma Abedin, John
> Podesta, Philippe Reines, Cheryl Mills, Kristina Schake, Jennifer Palmieri,
> Teddy Goff
> *Subject: *Re: WSJ | Foreign Government Donations
>
>
>
> If it has raised 48MM from overseas, what % of the total raised is that?
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>
> On Feb 18, 2015, at 8:56 AM, Margolis, Jim < [email-masked]>
> wrote:
>
>  Nick,
>
> So virtually all of these donations were to the endowment and were not for
> specific projects, correct?
>
> And are there examples of projects that are currently supported/funded
> through the endowment, or is the Foundation just building the endowment at
> this point (no disbursements)?
>
>
>
> It would be nice to paint a picture of how this money is being put to work
> -- even anecdotally.
>
>
>
> *From: *Nick Merrill < [email-masked]>
> *Date: *Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at 9:50 PM
> *To: *Mandy Grunwald < [email-masked]>, John Anzalone <
> [email-masked]>, GMMB GMMB < [email-masked]>, Robby Mook <
> [email-masked]>, Huma Abedin < [email-masked]>, Joel
> Benenson < [email-masked]>, John Podesta < [email-masked]>,
> Philippe Reines < [email-masked]>, Cheryl Mills <
> [email-masked]>, Kristina Schake < [email-masked]>,
> Jen Palmieri < [email-masked]>, Teddy Goff <
> [email-masked]>
> *Subject: *Re: WSJ | Foreign Government Donations
>
>
>
>
>
> http://www.wsj.com/articles/foreign-government-gifts-to-clinton-foundation-on-the-rise-1424223031
>   Foreign Government Gifts to Clinton Foundation on the Rise
>
>
> By James V. Grimaldi and Rebecca Ballhaus
>
> Feb. 17, 2015 8:30 p.m. ET
>
> The Clinton Foundation has dropped its self-imposed ban on collecting
> funds from foreign governments and is winning contributions at an
> accelerating rate, raising ethical questions as Hillary Clinton
> <http://topics.wsj.com/person/C/Hillary-Clinton/6344>ramps up her
> expected bid for the presidency.
>
> Recent donors include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman,
> Australia, Germany and a Canadian government agency promoting the Keystone
> XL pipeline.
>
> In 2009, the Clinton Foundation stopped raising money from foreign
> governments after Mrs. Clinton became secretary of state. Former President
> Bill Clinton, who ran the foundation while his wife was at the State
> Department, agreed to the gift ban at the behest of the Obama
> administration, which worried about a secretary of state's husband raising
> millions while she represented U.S. interests abroad.
>
> The ban wasn't absolute; some foreign government donations were permitted
> for ongoing programs approved by State Department ethics officials.
>
> The donations come as Mrs. Clinton prepares for an expected run for the
> Democratic nomination for president, and they raise many of the same
> ethical quandaries. Since leaving the State Department in early 2013, Mrs.
> Clinton officially joined the foundation, which changed its name to the
> Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, and has become a prodigious
> fundraiser as the foundation launched a $250 million endowment campaign,
> officials said.
>
> A representative for Hillary Clinton referred all questions to the Clinton
> Foundation.
>
> A spokesman for the Clinton Foundation said the charity has a need to
> raise money for its many projects, which aim to do such things as improve
> education, health care and the environment around the world. He also said
> that donors go through a vigorous vetting process.
>
> One of the 2014 donations comes from a Canadian agency promoting the
> proposed Keystone pipeline, which is favored by Republicans and under
> review by the Obama administration. The Foreign Affairs, Trade and
> Development agency of Canada, a first-time donor, gave between $250,000 and
> $500,000. The donations, which are disclosed voluntarily by the foundation,
> are given only in ranges.
>
> One of the agency's priorities for 2014-2015 was to promote Keystone XL
> "as a stable and secure source of energy and energy technology," according
> to the agency's website. Mrs. Clinton's State Department was involved in
> approving the U.S. government's initial environmental-impact statement.
> Since leaving State, Mrs. Clinton has repeatedly declined to comment on
> Keystone.
>
> The Canadian donation originated from an agency office separate from the
> one that advocates for Keystone XL, a Foundation spokesman said.
>
> Kirk Hanson, director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa
> Clara University in California, said the Clintons should immediately
> reimpose the ban, for the same reasons it was in place while Mrs. Clinton
> led U.S. foreign policy.
>
> "Now that she is gearing up to run for president, the same potential
> exists for foreign governments to curry favor with her as a potential
> president of the United States," he said.
>
> If she becomes president and deals with these nations, "she can't recuse
> herself," added James Thurber, director of American University's Center for
> Congressional and Presidential Studies. "Whether it influences her decision
> making is questionable, but it is a legitimate thing to focus on by her
> political opposition."
>
> The donations weren't announced by the foundation and were discovered by
> The Wall Street Journal during a search of donations of more than $50,000
> posted on the foundation's online database. Exactly when the website was
> updated isn't clear. The foundation typically updates its website with the
> previous year's donations near the beginning of the year. All 2014
> donations were noted with asterisks.
>
> At least four foreign countries gave to the foundation in 2013--Norway,
> Italy, Australia and the Netherlands--a fact that has garnered little
> attention. The number of governments contributing in 2014 appears to have
> doubled from the previous year. Since its founding, the foundation has
> raised at least $48 million from overseas governments, according to a
> Journal tally.
>
> United Arab Emirates, a first-time donor, gave between $1 million and $5
> million in 2014, and the German government--which also hadn't previously
> given--contributed between $100,000 and $250,000.
>
> A previous donor, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has given between $10
> million and $25 million since the foundation was created in 1999. Part of
> that came in 2014, although the database doesn't specify how much.
>
> The Australian government has given between $5 million and $10 million, at
> least part of which came in 2014. It also gave in 2013, when its donations
> fell in the same range.
>
> Qatar's government committee preparing for the 2022 soccer World Cup gave
> between $250,000 and $500,000 in 2014. Qatar's government had previously
> donated between $1 million and $5 million.
>
> Oman, which had made a donation previously, gave an undisclosed amount in
> 2014. Over time, Oman has given the foundation between $1 million and $5
> million. Prior to last year, its donations fell in the same range.
>
> The Clinton Foundation has set a goal of creating a $250 million
> endowment, an official said. One purpose was secure the future of the
> foundation's programs without having to rely so much on the former
> president's personal fundraising efforts, the official said.
>
> The Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Oman donations went to the
> endowment drive.
>
> *Write to *James V. Grimaldi at [email-masked]
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Feb 17, 2015, at 8:39 PM, Nick Merrill < [email-masked]>
> wrote:
>
> James Grimaldi, the same investigative reporter writing this larger piece
> about Foundation/State Department overlap with corporate money (which is
> still TBD in terms of when/whether it will run) is writing a piece for
> tomorrow about the Foundation's acceptance of foreign money.  The increase
> shows up on last year's disclosure for a number of reasons, some of it
> related to ongoing programs, some because there was an uptick in foreign
> money after she left State and the MOU no longer applied.
>
>
>
> Craig and his team have been working with them all day to separate fact
> from fiction where they can, and have given them a strong statement about
> donors' contributions to the Foundation being a result of the good work it
> does, but wanted everyone to have a heads up.
>
>
>
> Nick
>
>
>
>
>