Americans Shouldn't Vote For A Leader Who Won't Tell The Truth

TOP TAKEAWAYS

Clinton's long history of lying has caught up to her in her 2016 race, even refusing to rule out that she has not and will not lie to the American people.

Despite Clinton's attempts to shift the blame for her low trustworthy numbers to "wild accusations" made about her, her most recent trust-eroding scandals, like her secret server and her corrupt family foundation, are self-inflicted wounds.

Clinton spent the past 18 months lying to the American people about her secret server only for the FBI Director to personally expose her dishonest claims.

The scandals involving the Clinton Foundation - from the White House ethics agreement that was repeatedly violated, to the repeated disclosure failures, to the massive conflicts of interest posed by foreign donors - have all called into question Clinton's character and ability to serve.

CLINTON'S 2016 RUN HAS BEEN DOGGED WITH TRUST AND HONESTY ISSUES

Clinton Refused To Flatly State That She Has Not And Will Not Lie To The American People. CBS NEWS SCOTT PELLEY: "You know in '76, Jimmy Carter famously said, 'I will not lie to you.'" CLINTON: "Mm Hmm. Well, I will tell you, I have tried in every way I know how, literally from my years as a young lawyer, all the way through my time as Secretary of State to level with the American people." PELLEY: "You talk about leveling with the American people. Have you always told the truth?" CLINTON: "I have always tried to." PELLEY: "Some people are going to call that wiggle room that you just gave yourself 'always tried to.' Jimmy Carter said, 'I will never lie to you.'" CLINTON: "You're asking me to say, 'have I ever?' I don't believe I ever have. I don't believe I ever have. I don't believe I ever will. I am going to do the best I can to level with the American people." (CBS Evening News, 2/18/16)

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Clinton Has Blamed Her Tanking Trustworthy Numbers On "Wild Accusations" Against Her, But The Reason American's Don't Trust Her Is Because Of Her History Of Lying To The Public

In June, At An Event In Chicago, Clinton Blamed Her Low Trust Numbers To "Wild Accusations" Made Against Her. CLINTON: "In other words, I will do everything I can to rebuild your trust in our government. And let me just say a few words about that, trust is the glue that holds our democracy together. But it is no secret that American's trust in government has eroded. So has our trust in the media, business, religion, even professional sports. Something that used to connect us, that made it possible for us to believe in a shared present, and a common future, has worn away, it is crucial for our country to get this back. I take this seriously as a citizen, and as someone asking for your vote. And I personally know I have work to do on this front, a lot of people tell pollsters they don't trust me. Now I don't like hearing that, and I've thought a lot about what's behind it. And you know, you hear 25 years worth of wild accusations, anyone would start to wonder." (Hillary Clinton, Remarks At The Rainbow PUSH Convention, Chicago, IL, 6/27/16)

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"The Idea That Clinton Herself Bears No Responsibility For The Fact That A Majority Of All Americans Repeatedly Tell Pollsters That Words Like 'Honest' And 'Trustworthy' Don't Apply To Her Is Nonsensical." "But, the idea that Clinton herself bears no responsibility for the fact that a majority of all Americans repeatedly tell pollsters that words like 'honest' and 'trustworthy' don't apply to her is nonsensical. It was Clinton's decision to be the first Secretary of State in history to exclusively use a private email server while in office. It was Clinton who said that server would never have to be turned over to an independent investigator. (It eventually was). It is Clinton who, time and time again, has refused to see the political damage being done to her by the questions surrounding the FBI investigation into the server." (Chris Cillizza, "Hillary Clinton Has A Major Honesty Problem After New Hampshire," The Washington Post's The Fix , 2/10/16)

Since April 2016, Clinton's Honest And Trustworthy Options Dropped 10 Points. " In last month's survey, before FBI Director James Comey called Clinton's handling of classified information via private email 'extremely careless' but decided to not recommend prosecution, Clinton led Trump 43 percent to 37 percent. Overall, Clinton has dropped a full 10 points in the survey since April, when she commanded a lead of 50 percent to 40 percent over Trump, whose level of support has largely remained constant over the same period." (Nick Gass, "National Poll: Trump And Clinton Locked In Dead Heat," Politico, 7/14/16)

The Associated Press Headline: "But Is She Honest? Caring? Clinton Grapples With Questions" (Julie Pace, "But Is She Honest? Caring? Clinton Grapples With Questions," The Associated Press, 2/10/16)

Clinton "Has Spent Months Fighting The Perception That She Has A Shaky Relationship With The Truth And Is Disconnected…" "Hillary Clinton's campaign has spent months fighting the perception that she has a shaky relationship with the truth and is disconnected from the problems facing Americans. So far, the campaign's effort hasn't worked." (Julie Pace, "But Is She Honest? Caring? Clinton Grapples With Questions," The Associated Press, 2/10/16)

Clinton Has Been Classified As A "Congenital Liar" Since The 1990s

Clinton's Three Decades In The Political Limelight Is A Liability. "It also underscores the problem with what Clinton represents: In a year that voters are craving authenticity and a break from the political norm above all else, her nearly three decades in the political limelight is a liability." (Dan Merica And Eric Bradner, "Young Voters Abandon Hillary Clinton For Bernie Sanders," CNN, 2/10/16)

The New York Times ' William Safire: "Americans Of All Political Persuasions Are Coming To The Sad Realization That Our First Lady … Is A Congenital Liar." "Americans of all political persuasions are coming to the sad realization that our First Lady … is a congenital liar. Drip by drip, like Whitewater torture, the case is being made that she is compelled to mislead, and to ensnare her subordinates and friends in a web of deceit." (William Safire, Op-Ed, "Blizzard Of Lies," The New York Times, 1/8/96)

Safire: "[Clinton] Had Good Reasons To Lie; She Is In The Longtime Habit Of Lying; And She Has Never Been Called To Account For Lying Herself Or In Suborning Lying In Her Aides And Friends." (William Safire, Op-Ed, "Blizzard Of Lies," The New York Times, 1/8/96)

CLINTON HAS TRIED TO GET OUT OF HER SECRET SERVER SCANDAL BY LYING TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

Clinton "Shattered Her Credibility Over A Rogue Email System While Serving As Secretary Of State…" "What's with Hillary Clinton and email? The Democratic presidential nominee who shattered her credibility over a rogue email system while serving as secretary of state now must deal with an electronic snafu at the Democratic National Committee." (Ron Fournier, "Another Clinton Email Scandal," The Atlantic, 7/24/16)

While Secretary Of State, Instead Of Using A Government Email System, Exclusively Used A Private Email Address On Private Servers Located In Her Home. "Clinton exclusively used a private email address while serving as secretary of state from 2009-13. Instead of using the State Department email system (with an email address ending in @state.gov), Clinton used a personal email address (@clintonemail.com) housed on private servers located in her Chappaqua, N.Y., home." (Lauren Carroll, "PolitiFact Sheet: Hillary Clinton's Email Controversy," PolitiFact, 7/19/16)

There Is Evidence That Clinton Setup Her Secret Server For Privacy Reasons Despite Her Claim It Was Set Up For Convenience, And Although Clinton Repeatedly Said She Did Not Have Any Classified Materials On Her Server, She In Fact Did. "Clinton has said she used the email setup for convenience, so she would only have to use one device for email. But there's some evidence Clinton did it for privacy reasons as well. She said in 2010 that she would be open to a departmental email but added, 'I don't want any risk of the personal being accessible.' The FBI found that she used multiple mobile devices throughout her tenure, but it's unclear if she switched out periodically or used more than one at the same time. Some classified information ended up on her private server, which was an unclassified system, but there was not enough evidence to charge her with a crime. Clinton had repeatedly said she did not have any classified emails on her server, but the results of the FBI investigation show that claim was incorrect." (Lauren Carroll, "PolitiFact Sheet: Hillary Clinton's Email Controversy," PolitiFact, 7/19/16)

The FBI's Findings On Clinton's Secret Server "Challenged The Truthfulness" Of Her Previous Statements

FBI Director James Comey Confirmed That Several Of Clinton's Statements "Were Not True…" "FBI Director James Comey confirmed on Thursday that some of Hillary Clinton's statements and explanations about her email server to the House Benghazi Committee last October were not true, as evidenced by the bureau's investigation into whether she mishandled classified information." (Nick Gass, "Comey Challenges Truthfulness Of Clinton's Email Defenses," Politico, 7/7/16)

The Daily Mail Headline: "'Not True.' FBI Boss Admits Hillary Clinton's Claims About Secret Server Made Under Oath Were Not The Truth - And Claim She Turned Over All Her Work Emails Was Also A Lie" (David Marktoso, "'Not True.' FBI Boss Admits Hillary Clinton's Claims About Secret Server Made Under Oath Were Not The Truth - And Claim She Turned Over All Her Work Emails Was Also A Lie," The Daily Mail , 7/7/16)

Comey Said That Clinton Knew She Didn't Have The Authority To Set Up Her Server, Despite Her Insistence That She Had The Full Authority To Do So

In 2015, Clinton Told CNN : "[E]verything I Did Was Permitted. There Was No Law. There Was No Regulation. There Was Nothing That Did Not Give Me The Full Authority To Decide How I Was Going To Communicate." CNN'S BRIANNA KEILAR: "The issue of your email practices while you were Secretary of State, I think there's a lot of people who don't understand what your thought process was on that, so can you tell me the story of how you decided to delete 33,000 emails and how that deletion was executed?" CLINTON: "Well, let's start from the beginning, everything I did was permitted. There was no law. There was no regulation. There was nothing that did not give me the full authority to decide how I was going to communicate. Previous Secretaries of State have said they did the same thing and people across the government knew that I used one device, maybe because I'm not the most technically capable person and wanted to make it as easy as possible." KIELAR: "But you said they did the same thing, that they used a personal server, and while facing a subpoena, deleted emails from them." CLINTON: "A personal email, you know you are starting with so many assumptions that are, I've never had a subpoena, there is nothing, again, let's take a deep breath here, everything I did was permitted by law and regulation, I had one device, when I mailed anyone in the government, it would go into the government system. Now, I didn't have to turn over anything, I chose to turn over 55,000 pages, because I wanted to go above and beyond what was expected of me, because I knew the vast majority of I knew what was official was already in the State Department system. And now I think it's kinda fun, people get a real time behind the scenes look at you know, what I was emailing about and what I was communicating about." ("Situation Room," CNN, 7/7/15)

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But The FBI Director James Comey Said That Clinton Knew She Did Not Have Authority To Have Secret Server In Her Basement. REP. KEN BUCK (R-CO): "What this statute does say is 'knowing removes such materials without authority.' Is it fair that she knew that she didn't have authority to have this server in her basement?" FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY: "Yes, that's true." (House Oversight & Government Reform Committee, U.S. House Of Representatives, Hearing, 7/7/16)

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Clinton Lied When She Told The American People She Only Used One Device For Email

In March 2015, Clinton Said She Carried "Just One Device" To Access Her Emails. CLINTON: "First, when I got to work as secretary of state, I opted for convenience to use my personal email account, which was allowed by the State Department, because I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal emails instead of two. Looking back, it would've been better if I'd simply used a second email account and carried a second phone, but at the time, this didn't seem like an issue." (Hillary Clinton, Remarks At The United Nations, New York, NY, 3/10/15)

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The FBI Discovered That Clinton Used "Several Different Servers" And "Numerous Mobile Devices To Send And To Read Email…" FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY: "I have so far used the singular term e-mail server in describing the referral that began our investigation. It turns out to have been more complicated than that. Secretary Clinton used several different servers and administrators of those servers during her four years at the State Department, and she also used numerous mobile devices to send and to read e-mail on that personal domain. As new servers and equipment were employed, older servers were taken out of service, stored and decommissioned in various ways." (FBI Director James Comey, Remarks, Washington, D.C., 7/5/16)

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Clinton Claimed She Turned Over All Work Related Emails To Investigators

Clinton Said She Turned Over All Emails "That Could Possibly Be Work Related" Right Away. CLINTON: "Third, after I left office, the State Department asked former Secretaries of State for our assistance in providing copies of work- related emails from our personal accounts. I responded right away and provided all my emails that could possibly be work-related, which totalled roughly 55,000 printed pages, even though I knew that the State Department already had the vast majority of them. We went through a thorough process to identify all of my work- related emails and deliver them to the State Department." (Hillary Clinton, Remarks At A Press Conference, New York, NY, 3/10/15)

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Comey Said Clinton Failed To Turn Over "Several Thousand" Work-Related Emails. FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY: "The FBI also discovered several thousand work-related e-mails that were not among the group of 30,000 e-mails returned by Secretary Clinton to state in 2014. We found those e-mails in a variety of ways. Some had been deleted over the years and we found traces on them on servers or devices that have been connected to the private e-mail domain. Others we found by reviewing the archive government accounts of people who had been government employees at the same time as Secretary Clinton, including high ranking officials at other agencies, folks with whom a Secretary of State might normally correspond. This helped us recover work-related e-mails that were not among the 30,000 that were produced to state. Still others we recovered from the painstaking review of the millions of e-mail fragments dumped into the slack space of the server that was decommissioned in 2013. With respect to the thousands of e-mails we found that were not among those produced to the State Department, agencies have concluded that three of those were classified at the time they were sent or received, one at the secret level and two at the confidential level." (James Comey, Remarks, Washington, DC 7/5/16)

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Clinton Originally Declared Definitively "There Was No Classified Material" On Her Server, But The FBI Director Found That Untrue

In March 2015 Clinton Said "There Is No Classified Material." CLINTON: "I did not email any classified material to anyone on my email. There is no classified material. So I'm certainly well-aware of the classification requirements and did not send classified material." (Hillary Clinton, Press Conference, New York, NY 3/10/15)

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FBI Director: Clinton Sent More Than 100 Emails With Information That Was Classified At The Time . FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY: "From the group of 30,000 e-mails returned to the state department in 2014, 110 e-mails in 52 e-mail chains have been determined by the owning agency to contain classified information at the time they were sent or received. Eight of those chains contained information that was top secret at the time they were sent. 36 of those chains contained secret information at the time. And eight contained confidential information at the time. That's the lowest level of classification." (FBI Director James Comey, Remarks, Washington, D.C., 7/5/16)

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Of The Clinton Emails That The State Department Released, There Were 2,101 Emails Containing Material That Was Classified. "According to information released Monday by the State Department, Clinton's emails totaled 52,402 pages and included 2,101 emails that had been redacted in all or part because they contained material that was deemed classified." (Rosalind S. Helderman, "State Department Release Final Batch Of Clinton Emails," The Washington Post , 2/29/16)

Clinton Herself Wrote 104 Emails That Contained Classified Information. "Hillary Clinton wrote 104 emails that she sent using her private server while secretary of state that the government has since said contain classified information, according to a new Washington Post analysis of Clinton's publicly released correspondence." (Rosalind S. Helderman and Tom Hamburger, "Clinton, On Her Private Server, Wrote 104 Emails The Government Says Are Classified," The Washington Post , 3/5/16)

"Hillary Clinton wrote 104 emails that she sent using her private server while secretary of state that the government has since said contain classified information, according to a new Washington Post analysis of Clinton's publicly released correspondence." (Rosalind S. Helderman and Tom Hamburger, "Clinton, On Her Private Server, Wrote 104 Emails The Government Says Are Classified," The Washington Post , 3/5/16) A Full 22 Emails Deemed "Top Secret," Are Being "Withheld In Full" And Will Never Be Released To The Public Due To Their Classified Nature. "A second source not authorized to speak on the record said the number of accounts involved could be as high as 30 and reflects how the intelligence was broadly shared, replied to, and copied to individuals using the unsecured server. The State Department recently confirmed that the messages in question include the most sensitive kind of intelligence. On Jan. 29, Fox News first reported that some emails on Clinton's server were too damaging to release in any form. The State Department subsequently announced that 22 'top secret' emails were being withheld in full; these were the messages being handled by more than a dozen accounts." (Catherine Herridge And Pamela Browne, "Official: Top Clinton Aides Also Handled 'Top Secret' Intel On Server," Fox News , 2/10/16)

Despite Clinton's Assurance That Her Secret Server Was Safe, The FBI Director Left The Possibility That Foreign Hackers Gained Access To Her Homebrew Server

During The March 2015 Press Conference, Clinton Said The Server "Had Numerous Safeguards. It Was On Property Guarded By The Secret Service. There Were No Security Breaches" CLINTON: "Well, the system we used was set up for President Clinton's office. And it had numerous safeguards. It was on property guarded by the Secret Service. And there were no security breaches. So, I think that the - the use of that server, which started with my husband, certainly proved to be effective and secure." (Hillary Clinton, Remarks At A Press Conference At The United Nations, New York, NY, 3/10/15)

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Comey Said That It Is "Possible That Hostile Actors Gained Access" To Clinton's Server . FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY: "Given the nature of the system and of the actors potentially involved, we assess that we would be unlikely to see such direct evidence. We do assess that hostile actors gained access to the private commercial e-mail accounts of people with whom Secretary Clinton was in regular contact from her personal account. We also assess that Secretary Clinton's use of a personal e-mail domain was both known by a large number of people and readily apparent. She also used her personal e-mail extensively while outside the United States, including sending and receiving work-related e-mails in the territory of sophisticated adversaries. Given that combination of factors, we assess it is possible that hostile actors gained access to Secretary Clinton's personal e-mail account." (FBI Director James Comey, Remarks, Washington, DC 7/5/16)

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Clinton Also Ruled Out The Possibility That Her And Her Aides Deleted Anything From Her Secret Server, Even Though The FBI Found That Her Aides Wiped Their Servers To Preclude Forensic Recovery

Clinton Claimed That The Search Was "Thorough" And That Neither Her Nor Her Aides Deleted Anything From The Server. QUESTION: "Did you or any of your aides delete any government related emails from your personal account, and what lengths are you willing to go to to prove that you didn't, some people including supporters of yours suggest having an independent arbiter look at your server for instance?" CLINTON: "We did not. In fact, my direction to conduct the thorough investigation was to air on the side of providing anything that could be possibly viewed as work related, that doesn't mean they will be by the State Department once the State Department goes through them but out of an abundance of caution and care, we wanted to send that message unequivocally." (Hillary Clinton, Remarks At A Press Conference At The United Nations, New York, NY, 3/10/15)

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FBI Director: Clinton's Lawyers Did Not Read Individual Emails And Had Devices Wiped. FBI DIRECTOR JAMES COMEY: "The lawyers doing the sorting for Secretary Clinton in 2014 did not individually read the content of all of her e-mails as we did for those available to us. Instead, they relied on header information and used search terms to try to find all work-related e-mails among the reportedly more than 60,000 that were remaining on her system at the end of 2014. It's highly likely that their search missed some work-related e-mails and that we later found them. For example, in the mail boxes of other officials or in the slack space of a server. It's also likely that there are other work-related e-mails they did not produce to state and that we did not find elsewhere and that are now gone because they deleted all e-mails they did not produce to state, and the lawyers then cleaned their devices in such a way as to preclude complete forensic recovery."(FBI Director James Comey, Remarks, Washington, D.C., 7/5/16)

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Clinton Originally Claimed That She Complied With The Federal Records Act, But Her Own State Department Directly Said She Did Not

Clinton Has Claimed That Because She Emailed Other Government Addresses, She Complied With The Federal Records Act And Relevant State Department Regulations. CLINTON: "Secondly, under the Federal Records Act, records are defined as reported information, regardless of its form or characteristics, and in meeting the record keeping obligations, it was my practice to email government officials on their state or other .gov accounts so that the emails were immediately captured and preserved." (Hillary Clinton, Press Conference, New York, NY 3/10/15)

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According To The OIG, Clinton's Failure To Surrender Her Emails When She Left The State Department Represents A Failure To Comply With The Federal Records Act. "At a minimum, Secretary Clinton should have surrendered all emails dealing with Department business before leaving government service and, because she did not do so, she did not comply with the Department's policies that were implemented in accordance with the Federal Records Act." ("Office Of The Secretary: Evaluation Of Email Records Management And Cybersecurity Requirements," State Department Office Of Inspector General, 5/25/16)

Clinton's Method For Preserving Documents Was Not An "Appropriate Method Of Preserving Any Such Emails That Would Constitute A Federal Record." "A federal law requires the preservation of government records, and Clinton has said that since most of her emails were sent to people on the State Department system, she was complying. But the audit says that 'sending emails from a personal account to other employees at their Department accounts is not an appropriate method of preserving any such emails that would constitute a federal record.'" (Ken Dilanian, "Clinton Broke Federal Rules With Email Server, Audit Finds," NBC News, 5/25/16)

Clinton Lied When She Promised To Cooperate With Investigators Looking Into Her Secret Server, Declining To Be Interviewed By The State's Inspector General

Clinton Said She Was "Trying To Answer As Many [Questions] In As Many Different Settings As She Can." QUESTION: "Why haven't you directly apologized for setting up and using a private email server as secretary of state?" CLINTON: "Well, I understand why people have questions and I'm trying to answer as many of those in as many different settings as I can. What I did was allowed by the State Department. It was fully above board. Everybody in the government with whom I emailed knew that I was using a personal email, and I have said it would have been a better choice to have had two separate email accounts." ("Highlights From AP's Interview With Hillary Rodham Clinton," The Associated Press , 9/7/15)

Clinton Said In Regards To Her Secret Server Investigation, That She Is "Trying To Be As Transparent As [She] Possibly Can." CLINTON: "That was a mistake. I'm sorry about that. I take responsibility. And I'm trying to be as transparent as I possibly can." ("World News With David Muir," ABC News, 9/8/15)

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"Clinton And Her Top Aides Chose Not To Cooperate With The Review." "The State Department inspector general concluded that Hillary Clinton did not comply with the agency's policies on records, according to a report released to lawmakers on Wednesday that also revealed that Clinton and her top aides chose not to cooperate with the review." (Rachael Bade, Josh Gerstein, and Nick Gass, "State Dept: Clinton Violated Email Rules,"Politico , 5/25/16)

Through Her Lawyers, Clinton And Her Aides "Declined To Be Interviewed" By The State Department's IG. "Mrs. Clinton and her aides have played down the inquiries, saying that she would cooperate with investigators to put the email issue behind her. Even so, through her lawyers, she declined to be interviewed by the State Department's inspector general as part of his review. So did several of her senior aides." (Steven Lee Myers, "Hillary Clinton Is Criticized For Private Emails In State Dept. Review," The New York Times , 5/25/16)

"Mrs. Clinton and her aides have played down the inquiries, saying that she would cooperate with investigators to put the email issue behind her. Even so, through her lawyers, she declined to be interviewed by the State Department's inspector general as part of his review. So did several of her senior aides." (Steven Lee Myers, "Hillary Clinton Is Criticized For Private Emails In State Dept. Review," , 5/25/16) Clinton And Her Aides Have Promised To Cooperate With Investigators. "Mrs. Clinton and her aides have played down the inquiries, saying that she would cooperate with investigators to put the email issue behind her. Even so, through her lawyers, she declined to be interviewed by the State Department's inspector general as part of his review. So did several of her senior aides." (Steven Lee Myers, "Hillary Clinton Is Criticized For Private Emails In State Dept. Review,"The New York Times , 5/25/16)

Clinton Lied That Her Predecessors Did Same Thing, When In Fact They Did Not

On ABC's This Week, Claimed That Her Secret Server Practice "Was Used By Other Secretaries…" ABC'S GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "Madam secretary, on the e-mail issue as you know the state department inspector general was quite tough on your practices and it concluded I want to show it right here that Secretary Clinton had 'an obligation to discuss using her personal e-mail account to conduct official business with their offices, and according to these official, diplomatic security and the information resource management offices did not and would not approve her exclusive reliance on a personal email account to conduct department business because of the restricts in the foreign affairs manual and the security risk in doing so.' Do you know accept their conclusion that your exclusive use of a personal account was not allowed, that you broke state department rules?" CLINTON: "You know, look, George, I thought that the report actually made it clear that the practice I used was used by other secretaries, other high ranking state department officials." STEPHANOPOULOS: "No one else had exclusive use…" CLINTON: "If I had to -- if I had to do it over again I certainly wouldn't. But I think that the rules were not clarified until after I had left, because it had been the practice of others. There was certainly reason to believe which I did that what I practiced was in keeping with others' practices." STEPHANOPOULOS: "But you were the only one who had exclusive use of a personal account. Secretary Powell did have a personal e-mail account, as well and they were very, very clear." CLINTON: "You know…" STEPHANOPOULOS: "Go ahead." CLINTON: "George, I have to tell you that, you know, I will say it was a mistake. I would not do it again. But I think that the rules were not clarified until after I had left and the first secretary of state to use a government e-mail account was John Kerry some months into his tenure. Those are the facts." STEPHANOPOULOS: "But the report -- so you don't accept the conclusion of the report because they say you were unmindful of the rules." CLINTON: "Everybody in the Department knew that I was e-mailing from a personal address. Hundreds of people knew it. People around the government knew it and, you know, that was what the practice had been and that's what I did, as well." STEPHANOPOULOS: "So I'll take you don't accept their conclusion. Just one other question on this. Have you had any contact yet with the FBI, you or your agents over this matter?" CLINTON: "I have not been asked to come in for an interview. I've said I am more than willing since last august and I would like to do that sooner instead of later and get this matter wrapped up and behind us." (ABC's "This Week," 6/5/16)

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Clinton's Claim That Her "Predecessors Did The Same Thing" With A Secret Server Has Been Rated As Mostly False By PolitiFact. "Clinton said, regarding her State Department email practices, 'my predecessors did the same thing.' This is a misleading claim chiefly because only one prior secretary of state regularly used email, Colin Powell. Powell did use a personal email address for government business, however he did not use a private server kept at his home, as Clinton did. We rate this claim Mostly False." (Lauren Carroll, "Hillary Clinton Said 'My Predecessors Did The Same Thing,' With Email" PolitiFact , 3/9/16)

Clinton Told ABC That "Everybody In The Department Knew" That She Was Using Private Email, Even Though Her Own State Department Has Said That "No One Had A Full And Complete Understanding" Of Her Secret Server

In June 2016, Clinton Claimed That "Everybody In The Department Knew" That She Was Using Private Email. ABC'S GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "Madam secretary, on the e-mail issue as you know the State Department Inspector General was quite tough on your practices and it concluded I want to show it right here that Secretary Clinton had 'an obligation to discuss using her personal e-mail account to conduct official business with their offices, and according to these official, diplomatic security and the information resource management offices did not and would not approve her exclusive reliance on a personal email account to conduct department business because of the restricts in the foreign affairs manual and the security risk in doing so.' Do you know accept their conclusion that your exclusive use of a personal account was not allowed, that you broke state department rules?" CLINTON: "You know, look, George, I thought that the report actually made it clear that the practice I used was used by other secretaries, other high ranking State Department officials." STEPHANOPOULOS: "No one else had exclusive use…" CLINTON: "If I had to -- if I had to do it over again I certainly wouldn't. But I think that the rules were not clarified until after I had left, because it had been the practice of others. There was certainly reason to believe which I did that what I practiced was in keeping with others' practices." STEPHANOPOULOS: "But you were the only one who had exclusive use of a personal account. Secretary Powell did have a personal e-mail account, as well and they were very, very clear." CLINTON: "You know…" STEPHANOPOULOS: "Go ahead." CLINTON: "George, I have to tell you that, you know, I will say it was a mistake. I would not do it again. But I think that the rules were not clarified until after I had left and the first secretary of state to use a government e-mail account was John Kerry some months into his tenure. Those are the facts." STEPHANOPOULOS: "But the report -- so you don't accept the conclusion of the report because they say you were unmindful of the rules." CLINTON: "Everybody in the Department knew that I was e-mailing from a personal address. Hundreds of people knew it. People around the government knew it and, you know, that was what the practice had been and that's what I did, as well." STEPHANOPOULOS: "So I'll take you don't accept their conclusion. Just one other question on this. Have you had any contact yet with the FBI, you or your agents over this matter?" CLINTON: "I have not been asked to come in for an interview. I've said I am more than willing since last August and I would like to do that sooner instead of later and get this matter wrapped up and behind us." (ABC's "This Week," 6/5/16)

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State Department Spokesman Mark Toner Said That "No One Had A Full And Complete Understanding" Of Clinton's Secret Server. QUESTION: "One thing here, the report says, you state that there is no absolute prohibition on the use of personal email. Which is true, however, beginning in late 2005, and continuing through 2011, the department revised the foreign affairs manual and issued various memoranda, specifically discussing the obligation to use department systems in most circumstances. So, there was an obligation to use department systems in most circumstances, correct? Are you disputing that?" STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN MARK TONER: "Again, I don't, I mean I don't, if you are quoting me chapter and verse, I'm not going to dispute that, but it wasn't prohibited." QUESTION: "In occasional circumstances but it was prohibited to do it in every circumstance. Because the obligation here is that in most circumstances you have to use the department systems. So when you say it is not absolutely prohibited, you are right, but you are not right if you use that statement to suggest that it was acceptable to use it in most circumstances, because Secretary Clinton used it in every circumstance. Correct?" TONER: "But again, in an answer to your second question, while people were aware of her use of personal email, no one had a full and complete understanding of, to the extent." (State Department Press Briefing, 5/25/16)

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According To The State OIG, Senior State Department Officials Who Served Under Secretary Clinton "Stated That They Were Unaware Of The Scope Or Extent Of Secretary Clinton's Use Of A Personal Email Account." "In addition to interviewing current and former officials in DS and IRM, OIG interviewed other senior Department officials with relevant knowledge who served under Secretary Clinton, including the Under Secretary for Management, who supervises both DS and IRM; current and former Executive Secretaries; and attorneys within the Office of the Legal Adviser. These officials all stated that they were not asked to approve or otherwise review the use of Secretary Clinton's server and that they had no knowledge of approval or review by other Department staff. These officials also stated that they were unaware of the scope or extent of Secretary Clinton's use of a personal email account, though many of them sent emails to the Secretary on this account. Secretary Clinton's Chief of Staff also testified before the House Select Committee on Benghazi that she was unaware of anyone being consulted about the Secretary's exclusive use of a personal email address." ("Office Of The Secretary: Evaluation Of Email Records Management And Cybersecurity Requirements," State Department Office Of Inspector General , 5/25/16)

Clinton Has Referred To Her FBI Investigation As A Mere "Security Inquiry," Despite FBI Director Comey's Rebuke Of That Term

Clinton Claimed In May 2016 That Her Secret Server Investigation Is Merely A "Security Inquiry…" CBS'S JOHN DICKERSON: "Some voters may be paying attention now in a different kind of way, what's your answer to those people who think, 'Gee, F.B.I. inquiry. That's a big deal.' What do you say to them?" CLINTON: "I say what I've said now for many, many months. It's a security inquiry. I always took classified material seriously. There was never any material marked classified that was sent or received-- by me. And I-- look forward to this being wrapped up." (CBS's "Face The Nation," 5/8/16)

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In May 2016, The FBI Director James Comey Challenged Clinton's Repeated Claim That The FBI Investigation Into Her Email Server Is A "Security Inquiry." "The head of the FBI appeared to challenge Hillary Clinton's characterization of the federal investigation into her private email server on Wednesday. Clinton and her allies have repeatedly called the probe a routine 'security inquiry.' But Director James Comey told reporters that that wasn't an accurate description. 'It's in our name. I'm not familiar with the term 'security inquiry,' Comey said at a roundtable with reporters, according to Politico." (Julian Hattem, "FBI Head Challenges Clinton's Description Of Email Probe," The Hill, 5/11/16)

THE CLINTON FOUNDATION'S CONTINUED ETHICS PROBLEMS AND DONOR DISCLOSURE FAILURES FURTHER SHED LIGHT ONTO CLINTON'S LIES

Clinton Promised To Disclose Foreign Donors To Her Families Foundations When She Became Secretary Of State, But It Was Found To Be Routinely Disregarded

In November 2008, The Clinton Foundation Agreed To Publicly Disclose Clinton Foundation Donors As Part Of An Agreement With Obama's Transition Team That Cleared That Way For Hillary Clinton To Become Secretary Of State. "Former President Bill Clinton has agreed to disclose publicly the names of more than 200,000 donors to his foundation as part of an accord with President-elect Barack Obama that clears the way for Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton to become secretary of state, Democrats close to both sides said on Saturday." (Peter Baker, "Clinton To Name Donors As Part Of Obama Deal," The New York Times, 11/30/08)

The Agreement Between The Clinton Foundation And The Obama Administration Transition Team Was Finalized On December 12, 2008. "To avoid potential conflicts, the Obama team, represented by its transition co-chairwoman, Valerie Jarrett, signed a memorandum of understanding on Dec. 12 with the William J. Clinton Foundation, represented by its chief executive, Bruce R. Lindsey." (Peter Baker and Charlie Savage, "In Clinton List, A Veil Is Lifted On Foundation," The New York Times, 12/19/08)

According To The Agreement, If Any Country Increased Its Commitment Or A New Country Decided To Contribute, The Foundation Was Obliged To Notify State Department Ethics Officials. "Four other initiatives under the umbrella of the Clinton foundation -- focused on H.I.V./AIDS, climate change, development and sustainable growth -- will continue to do work under agreements with foreign governments that provide financing, including Britain, France, Norway and Sweden. But if any of those countries increases its commitment or a new country decides to contribute, the foundation will notify State Department ethics officials." (Peter Baker, "Clinton To Name Donors As Part Of Obama Deal," The New York Times, 11/30/08)

During Clinton's 2009 Confirmation Hearing, Clinton Repeatedly Cited The Memorandum Of Understanding To Alleviate Concerns About Potential Conflicts Of Interest

Clinton: "[T]he Foundation And The President-Elect Decided To Go Beyond What The Law And The Ethics Rules Call For To Address Even The Appearance Of Conflict And That Is Why They Signed A Memorandum Of Understanding, Which Outlines The Voluntary Steps That The Foundation Is Taking To Address Potential Concerns That Might Come Up Down The Road." CLINTON: "I am very proud to be the president-elect's nominee for secretary of state, and I am very proud of what my husband and the Clinton Foundation and the associated efforts he's undertaken have accomplished, as well. It is not unique, however, for spouses of government officials to work and there are very well established rules for what is expected when that occurs. In this particular case, the Office of Government Ethics and the career ethics officials at the State Department have looked at the rules and concluded there is not an inherent conflict of interest in any of my husband's work at all. However, the foundation and the president-elect decided to go beyond what the law and the ethics rules call for to address even the appearance of conflict and that is why they signed a memorandum of understanding, which outlines the voluntary steps that the foundation is taking to address potential concerns that might come up down the road." (Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hillary Clinton Confirmation Hearing, 1/13/09)

Clinton: "[T]his Is An Agreement That Has Been Worked Out Between All Of The Parties And The Fact Is That The Concerns That Were Raised In The Discussions Between The Foundation And The President-Elect's Team Were Thoroughly Discussed And They Believe, And I Agree, That The Transparency And Disclosure That Is Needed, Which, As You Said Yourself, It Goes Beyond Any Kind Of Legal Or Ethical Consideration." SEN. DAVID VITTER (R-LA): "There's also been the suggestion from a lot of folks to disclose the date and amount or at least amount within ranges of new contributions and to do that at least quarterly rather than annually. Would you be open to that?" CLINTON: "Well, again, this is an agreement that has been worked out between all of the parties and the fact is that the concerns that were raised in the discussions between the foundation and the president-elect's team were thoroughly discussed and they believe, and I agree, that the transparency and disclosure that is needed, which, as you said yourself, it goes beyond any kind of legal or ethical consideration. And not only that, there will be ongoing -- there will be ongoing reviews by anything that is brought to the attention of the career professionals. But I just have to go back, Senator, and try to set the record straight. CGI is not in the memorandum of understanding because they already have a practice of disclosing all of their contributions. There is no need to require it. I will certainly state here that they're going to continue the practice which they've already done. No president has ever disclosed the contributions to his foundation. So when my husband agreed to disclose the contributions to his foundation, that was a very unprecedented event, which he was happy to do. But the Clinton Global Initiative, which is separate from the foundation, has always disclosed the contributions." (Committee On Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate, Hillary Clinton Confirmation Hearing, 1/13/09)

Despite The Agreement, The Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) Failed To Disclose Donors

Reuters Headline: "Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton Promise, Charity Did Not Disclose Donors" (Jonathan Allen, "Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton Promise, Charity Did Not Disclose Donors," Reuters , 3/19/15)

These Failures Make CHAI "A Prominent Symbol Of The Broken Political Promise And Subsequent Lack Of Accountability Underlying The Charity-Related Controversies That Are Dogging Clinton As She Embarks On Her Campaign For President." "The failures make the Clinton Health Access Initiative, which is headquartered on Dorchester Avenue in South Boston, and goes by the acronym CHAI, a prominent symbol of the broken political promise and subsequent lack of accountability underlying the charity-related controversies that are dogging Clinton as she embarks on her campaign for president." (Annie Linskey, "Clinton Charity Never Provided Foreign Donor Data," The Boston Globe , 4/30/15)

Reuters Found That The Foundation's "Flagship Health Program" Stopped Making Annual Donor Disclosures In 2010. "But in a breach of the pledge, the charity's flagship health program, which spends more than all of the other foundation initiatives put together, stopped making the annual disclosure in 2010, Reuters has found." (Jonathan Allen, "Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton Promise, Charity Did Not Disclose Donors," Reuters , 3/19/15)

"In Response To Questions From Reuters, Officials At CHAI And The Foundation Confirmed No Complete List Of Donors To The Clintons' Charities Has Been Published Since 2010." (Jonathan Allen, "Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton Promise, Charity Did Not Disclose Donors," Reuters , 3/19/15)

CNN Headline: "Clinton Foundation: 'Yes, We Made Mistakes'" (Dan Merica and Theodore Schleifer, "Clinton Foundation: 'Yes, We Made Mistakes,'" CNN, 4/27/15)

Clinton Foundation CEO Maura Pally Wrote: "Yes, We Made Mistakes, As Many Organizations Of Our Size Do, But We Are Acting Quickly To Remedy Them…" "In a blog post out Sunday, Foundation acting CEO Maura Pally reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, but nevertheless said some errors had occurred. 'Yes, we made mistakes, as many organizations of our size do, but we are acting quickly to remedy them, and have taken steps to ensure they don't happen in the future,' Pally wrote." (Dan Merica and Theodore Schleifer, "Clinton Foundation: 'Yes, We Made Mistakes,'" CNN, 4/27/15)

CHAI Released Only A Partial Donor List For The First Time In 2015 And Called Its Failure To Disclose Its Donors In The Past "An Oversight." "CHAI, which is best known for helping to reduce the cost of drugs for people with HIV in the developing world, published a partial donor list for the first time only this year. CHAI should have published the names during 2010-2013, when Clinton was in office, CHAI spokeswoman Maura Daley acknowledged this week. 'Not doing so was an oversight which we made up for this year,' she told Reuters in an email when asked why it had not published any donor lists until a few weeks ago." (Jonathan Allen, "Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton Promise, Charity Did Not Disclose Donors," Reuters , 3/19/15)

"In The Donor List That CHAI Published [In 2015], For The First Time Since Its Spin-Off From The Clinton Foundation, Not All Donors Were Identified." (Jonathan Allen, "Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton Promise, Charity Did Not Disclose Donors," Reuters , 3/19/15)

CHAI Failed To Submit Foreign Government Donations For Ethics Vetting During Clinton's Tenure As Secretary

The Clinton Foundation Pledged To Allow The State Department To Review Any New Or Increased Donations From Foreign Governments. "The Reuters inquiries also raised questions about a second assurance Hillary Clinton made to the Obama administration: that the State Department would be able to review any new or increased contributions to CHAI by foreign governments while she served as the nation's top diplomat. The Clintons said the pledge was intended to defuse accusations that foreign governments might use such donations to earn favors." (Jonathan Allen, "Exclusive: Despite Hillary Clinton Promise, Charity Did Not Disclose Donors," Reuters, 3/19/15)

But "The Clinton Health Access Initiative Never Submitted Information On Any Foreign Donations To State Department Lawyers For Review During Clinton's Tenure From 2009 To 2013…" "The Clinton Health Access Initiative never submitted information on any foreign donations to State Department lawyers for review during Clinton's tenure from 2009 to 2013, Maura Daley, the organization's spokeswoman, acknowledged to the Globe this week." (Annie Linskey, "Clinton Charity Never Provided Foreign Donor Data," The Boston Globe , 4/30/15)

The Clinton Foundation Failed To Submit New Contributions From Algeria For Vetting

"The Clinton Foundation Failed To Submit A $500,000 Donation From The Algerian Government To The State Department For Approval Under An Ethics Agreement Put In Place As Hillary Clinton Was Being Confirmed As Secretary Of State…" "The Clinton Foundation failed to submit a $500,000 donation from the Algerian government to the State Department for approval under an ethics agreement put in place as Hillary Clinton was being confirmed as secretary of state, a foundation spokesman acknowledged Wednesday." (Josh Gerstein, "Foreign Donation Slipped Clinton Vetting Process," Politico, 2/26/15)

"Foundation Officials Acknowledged They Should Have Sought Approval In 2010 From The State Department Ethics Office, As Required By The Agreement For New Government Donors, Before Accepting A $500,000 Donation From The Algerian Government." (Rosalind S. Helderman and Tom Hamburger, "Foreign Governments Gave Millions To Foundation While Clinton Was At State Dept.," The Washington Post , 2/25/15)

Clinton's Ethics Agreement Allowed Foreign Governments To Continue Supporting Existing Programs, But New Or Increased Donations Had To Be Vetted By The State Department. "Under the deal, those four entities could continue to accept funds from foreign governments already supporting those programs, but any material increases in donations and any donations from new countries were supposed to be submitted for review by State Department ethics officials." (Josh Gerstein, "Foreign Donation Slipped Clinton Vetting Process,"Politico, 2/26/15)

Bloomberg Politics' Mark Halperin Was Flabbergasted By The Donations, "What. In. Gods. Name. Are The Clinton's Doing" Taking "Sketchy" Money From Foreign Countries. BLOOMBERG POLITICS' MARK HALPERIN: "I read the news today, oh boy. About the Clinton Foundation taking donations from foreign countries including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman. John, what. In. Gods. Name. Are the Clinton's doing? Why are they taking, legal, but so sketchy, if you want to be president, why are they taking this overseas money for the foundation, which does great work, and legal, great work, but why are they doing this?" (Bloomberg Politics, With All Due Respect, 2/19/15)

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The Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership Had Multiple Disclosure Failures

The Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership Is A Canadian Charity, Which Moves "Significant Sums Of Money Into The Clinton Foundation's Flagship In New York." "Canadian charity called the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership-which is run by one of Bill Clinton's close friends, Frank Giustra-has been moving significant sums of money into the Clinton Foundation's flagship in New York." (Ken Silverstein, "Shaky Foundations," Harper's Magazine, 11/18/15)

There Is No Way To Know Exactly How Much Money CGEP Has Taken In, Because Canadian Non-Profit Law Says Charities Do Not Need To Report Donors. "There's no way for the public to know precisely how much total money the CGEP has taken in over the years-or how much it has forwarded on to the Clinton Foundation-because, unlike in the United States, under Canadian non-profit law charities don't need to report donors to tax authorities." (Ken Silverstein, "Shaky Foundations," Harper's Magazine, 11/18/15)

In 2015, Under Pressure From The Press, CGEP Released The Names Of 24 Donors, But More Than 1,000 Are Still Unknown. "Earlier this year, after being severely criticized by the Canadian press, the CGEP released the names of twenty-four of its donors, but more than 1,000 are still unknown. (CGEP wrote in an email that 'going forward [it] will publicly disclose all future donors.')" (Ken Silverstein, "Shaky Foundations," Harper's Magazine, 11/18/15)

Despite These Major Disclosure Failures, Clinton Continues To Lie, Saying That Her Family Foundation Has Been Transparent With Minimal Failures, Even As Her Foundation Continues To Have Poor Transparency

In March 2016, Clinton Claimed Her Family Foundation Has Been Transparent. MSNBC'S RACHEL MADDOW: "Let me ask you one-- last question. Which I'm asking in part because we're here in New York. Which is-- the headquarters of The Clinton Foundation, and The Clinton Global Initiative. Is there a case to be made, an ethical case to be made that The Clinton Foundation and the Global Initiative should essentially be wound down as a family foundation while you run for president? I ask that because I think about the-- the good works, the good charitable works that The Clinton Foundation has done. But the way that some of that work gets done is by soliciting donations from people in this country, from people around the world, from organizations around the world. I think it is not unreasonable to suspect that people may give donations to The Clinton Foundation hoping that they will favorably influence your opinion toward them, as a presidential candidate, or eventually as president if you're elected. Is there an ethical concern there that there should be essentially-- a split between you and your family, (COUGH) and-- and-- and this foundation, that has done good work? But now you're in a different position-- with regard to potential donors." CLINTON: "Well, look, I-- I think that-- the work that it's done has been extraordinary. And I give the credit to my husband and my daughter, because I haven't been involved-- for that long. And, you know, when I look at what they've accomplished, and what they've been able to amplify in terms of saving lives-- by getting the price of drugs for HIV/AIDS down in sub-Saharan Africa. It's quite astonishing. And I would hate to lose that creativity, that imagination, that-- extraordinary flexibility. So, I think the answer is transparency. And there is no doubt that there will be-- complete transparency about-- donations. But when you have hundreds of thousands of people who are donating-- as they do-- I think that-- the best-- answer for that is what we have been doing for the last several years. And that is-- to be transparent about it. And let-- you know, let voters and others make their judgment." (MSNBC's "The Rachel Maddow Show," 3/30/16)

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In June 2016, Clinton Was Pressed On The Transparency Issues At The Clinton Foundation And Was Forced To Minimize The Disclosure Failures Of The Clinton Foundation. CNN'S ANDERSON COOPER: "Trump has said he is clearly going to focus on the Clinton Foundation. Last night said the Russians, Saudis, Chinese all gave money to the Foundation and got favorable treatment in return. The Foundation has raised huge sums of money for worthy causes, it's always not been transparent though. Tens of millions of dollars from come from a Canadian partnership so that the donors could remain secret, there was a large donation from Algeria not submitted to State Department for approval. If you are President, will your husband divest himself of any association with the Foundation?" CLINTON: "Well, Anderson, we will cross that bridge if and when we come to it, let me just try to set the record straight. We had absolutely overwhelming disclosure. Were there one or two instances that slipped through the cracks? Yes. But was the overwhelming amount of anything that anybody gave the Foundation disclosed, absolutely." (CNN, 6/8/16)

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Harper's Ken Silverstein: It Is An Open Secret That The Clinton Foundation's Financial Records Are Deliberately Misleading. "Democrats and Clinton apologists will write these accusations off as conspiracy mongering and right-wing propaganda, but it's an open secret to anyone remotely familiar with accounting and regulatory requirements for charities that the financial records are deliberately misleading. And not coincidentally, those records were long filed by a Little Rock-based accounting firm called BKD, a regional auditor with little international experience." (Ken Silverstein, "Shaky Foundations," Harper's Magazine, 11/18/15)

The Donor List Posted On The Foundation's Website Does Not Provide Nationality Or Occupation Of The Donors, The Dates They Contributed, Or Precise Amounts Of Contributions. "The list posted on the foundation's Web site -- www.clintonfoundation.org -- did not provide the nationality or occupation of the donors, the dates they contributed or the precise amounts of their gifts, instead breaking down contributors by dollar ranges. Nor did the list include pledges for future donations. As a result, it is impossible to know from the list which donations were made while Mr. Clinton was still president or while Mrs. Clinton was running for president." (Peter Baker and Charlie Savage, "In Clinton List, A Veil Is Lifted On Foundation," The New York Times, 12/19/08)

These Limits To Transparency Make It Difficult To Track Trends In Giving Over Time, And As A Result, It Is Impossible To Determine How Much Particular Donors Contributed In The Months Since Hillary Clinton Joined The Foundation. "And the foundation tallies the giving of each donor only cumulatively, making it difficult to track trends in giving over time. As a result, it is not possible to determine how much particular donors contributed in the months since Hillary Clinton joined the foundation in 2013." (Rosalind S. Helderman, Tom Hamburger and Steven Rich, "Clintons' Foundation Has Raised Nearly $2 Billion - And Some Key Questions," The Washington Post , 2/18/15)

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