Clinton Foundation

Holy Shih Tzu! Trump Attacks NY Corruption Probe with Bizarre Reference to Sexual Abuse

Posted by on July 1, 2019 at 1:38 pm. 1 Comments :

One might think that if there is a single subject that Donald Trump would be smart enough to stay away from, it would be the subject of sexual harassment and abuse. And one would be utterly wrong. As is often the case, it is impossible to underestimate the audacity and cretinism of Trump. That’s particularly true when he is backed into a corner igniting his feral anger and fear.

Donald Trump

Case in point: On Monday morning Trump unleashed another of his rabid tweetstorms. This one appears to have come out of nowhere, but was likely stirred by something he just saw on Fox News, or perhaps he received a legal summons of some sort. The topic of this outburst centered on the ongoing investigation into his criminal activities by the state of New York. And naturally, he led it off with an impotent countercharge aimed at his perceived persecutors:

Contrary to Trump’s paranoid ranting, the New York Attorney General’s office doesn’t “sue on everything.” However, if they are “in search of a crime” it’s only because that’s their job. Trump is whining about this in the same way that a bank robber would whine about those darn cops always sticking their noses into bank robberies.

So Trump tries to exonerate himself from the documented criminal activity that resulted in his phony foundation being shut down. Former New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood (not Eric Schneiderman), found that the Foundation was a criminal enterprise devoted to enriching himself with other people’s donations (Here’s a quick primer on Trump’s scam foundation). Underwood’s report outlined “a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation.” The ruling went on to declare that Trump’s sham included…

“…unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more. This amounted to the Trump Foundation functioning as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr. Trump’s business and political interests.”

The current NY AG, Letitia James, tweeted a message to Trump warning that “No one is above the law, not even the President.” What’s more, the lawsuit Trump faces continues to seek millions in restitution and prohibits Trump and his evil spawn from serving on the boards of other New York charities. Imagine that: Trump is barred from running a charitable foundation, but not from serving as president. There’s something horribly wrong with that picture.

As for Trump’s flailing assault on the Bill and Hillary Clinton Foundation, it is wildly off base. There have been investigations into the Clinton Foundation and there was never any hint of wrongdoing. In fact, the major organizations that assess the credibility of charitable groups have given the Clinton Foundation their highest ratings.

What makes this even more dumbfounding is Trump’s vicious sideswipe at the former NY Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman. To be sure, Schneiderman had his problems for which he paid dearly. He voluntarily resigned from office, abandoned an almost guaranteed path to New York’s governorship, and has since receded from public life. And for the record, Schneiderman was never Clinton’s campaign chairman. That was John Podesta, whose emails were hacked by Trump’s Russian pals. Also, it’s ironic that Trump would go after anyone’s campaign chairman while his own, Paul Manafort, is currently sitting in prison for crimes against America.

It’s rather startling that Trump would venture into the area of sex crimes considering his own history of repulsiveness. Trump has been accused of harassing and/or assaulting dozens of women. He even admitted to sexual abuse on the infamous Access Hollywood recording. But he remains in the White House while even more credible accusations are coming out. If Trump wants to make this a contest of who is the most vile abuser of women, he’s a shoo-in for the big trophy. And perhaps it’s that confidence of victory that made him foolishly bring up the subject. After all, we know how much he likes to win.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

A Tale of Two Foundations: Trump’s Sham is Shutdown, George Soros is FT’s ‘Person of the Year’

Posted by on December 19, 2018 at 11:10 am. 1 Comments :

The real picture of Donald Trump’s relentless pursuit of self-serving corruption got another section colored in on Tuesday. The New York Attorney General found that his Trump Foundation was a criminal enterprise devoted to enriching himself with other people’s donations (Here’s a quick primer on Trump’s scam foundation). Trump was forced to agree to shut it down under the supervision of the court.

George Soros, Donald Trump

Despite Trump’s concession to the indisputable facts, Trump lashed out in fit of conspiracy mongering, blame-shifting, and paranoia on Twitter. However, he never rationally refuted what the NY Attorney General, Barbara Underwood, called “a shocking pattern of illegality involving the Trump Foundation.” The ruling went on to declare that Trump’s sham included…

“…unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more. This amounted to the Trump Foundation functioning as little more than a checkbook to serve Mr. Trump’s business and political interests.”

What’s more, the lawsuit Trump faces continues to seek millions in restitution and prohibits Trump and his evil spawn from serving on the boards of other New York charities. Imagine that: Trump is barred from running a charitable foundation, but not from serving as president. There’s something horribly wrong with that picture.

And naturally, while making lame excuses for himself, Trump had to interject his obsessive animus toward his long-standing foes by taking a swing (and a miss) at the Clinton Foundation. There is really no comparison since the Clinton Foundation is a model for philanthropic enterprise and has received the top ratings from charity watchdog groups.

Meanwhile, another Trump nemesis, George Soros, was named “Person of the Year“ by the Financial Times. Soros is a true self-made billionaire (as opposed to Trump’s accident of birth and incompetent business skills), who is also renowned worldwide for his philanthropy. The Financial Times opened their tribute to Soros saying:

“The Financial Times’s choice of Person of the Year is usually a reflection of their achievements. In the case of Mr Soros this year, his selection is also about the values he represents. He is the standard bearer of liberal democracy and open society. These are the ideas which triumphed in the cold war. Today, they are under siege from all sides, from Vladimir Putin’s Russia to Donald Trump’s America.”

Indeed, Trump’s America is a regression toward the authoritarian regimes of the past that he openly admires. Trump abhors open societies wherein wannabe dictators like himself are denied the power they crave. And while Trump strives to use his position for personal gain, Soros has suffered as a result of what FT says is his “long commitment to openness, media freedom and human rights.” That suffering recently hit an extreme when he received a mail bomb from a right-wing domestic terrorist. But if that weren’t enough, he has also been falsely accused of collaborating with Nazis, although he was just fourteen years old when they occupied his native Hungary.

Fox News has been a major contributor to the coordinated hate campaigns against Soros. Their top hosts frequently portray him as something akin to the Antichrist, and as someone who is responsible for everything they regard as evil. Trump himself has exacerbated the hate-mongering aimed at Soros. Just a couple of months ago he tweeted a blatant lie that Soros was funding “very rude elevator screamers” who were protesting the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. He has also been accused of funding the Central American refugees seeking asylum in the U.S. That charge was cited as a possible motive in the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in October. Even Facebook’s CEO went after Soros in a despicable, anti-Semitic disinformation campaign.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

However, through it all Soros has remained a steadfast champion of freedom and charity. His Open Society Foundation is the beneficiary of $32 billion of his own money. Those funds are being put to work in more than 100 countries to support democracy, transparency and freedom of expression. Thats a striking contrast to the corruption and greed of Trump’s phony charitable efforts. And it’s fitting that the recognition of Soros by the Financial Times comes the day after Trump is fingered as a crook by the NY Attorney General.

Bonus Tweet from Clinton Foundation executive:

Here’s a Quick Primer on the Criminal Corruption of the Trump Foundation

Posted by on June 14, 2018 at 10:21 am. 1 Comments :

The New York Attorney General’s office just filed suit against Donald Trump, his family (Eric, Ivanka and Don,Jr.), and the phony charity they call the Trump Foundation. The suit announced by NY Attorney General Barbara Underwood alleges multiple violations of both state and federal charities law. It further seeks to place temporary bans on the Trumps from serving as directors of a New York not-for-profit.

Donald Trump

The Attorney General’s public statement was a damning expose of how Trump used the Foundation to enrich himself by exploiting people in need:

“As our investigation reveals, the Trump Foundation was little more than a checkbook for payments from Mr. Trump or his business to nonprofits, regardless of their purpose or legality.”

Naturally Trump responded in a rage-a-holic tweetstorm that made little sense, blaming his depravity on others. Specifically, he tweeted condemnations of “sleazy Democrats” and an attack on a former NY Ag who is not a part of this suit. And of course he had to bring the Clintons into it because, well, because he’s Donald Trump and isn’t smart enough to come up with a coherent defense. And finally, he insisted that he would not settle, a claim he’s made often in the past, right before settling (see Trump University).

News Corpse has been covering the illegal and immoral operations of the Trump Foundation for some time. Here is a brief summary of how Trump and Co. used their wealth and position to rip off unfortunates and stuff their pockets:

Trump Spends 100K From His ‘Charity’ To Quash Fraud Charges In NY
The Trump Foundation paid out $100,000 to Citizen’s United, a conservative group who was suing the NY Attorney General.

BUSTED: Trump Used His ‘Charity’ To Pay Off His Own Legal Settlements
IRS filings by the Trump Foundation show that charitable funds were used to settle Trump’s personal or business debts.

Donald Trump Caught Outright Lying About ‘Donation’ To Florida Attorney General
The Trump Foundation made an unlawful $25,000 political donation to a group called “And Justice For All.” The group was supporting the reelection of Pam Bondi, the Attorney General of Florida. Shortly after Bondi dropped a Florida state suit against Trump University.

Trump Charges Eric’s Cancer Charity for Kids Exorbitant Fees to Use His Golf Resort
The charity had been donating the use of Trump resorts to St. Jude Children’s Hospital until daddy intervened and insisted that they be charged for use of the facilities.

LOCK HER UP: Ivanka Trump’s ‘Charity’ Auction Sells White House Access To Wealthy Bidders
Ivanka Trump put up an auction on the Charitybuzz website. It offered an opportunity to “Enjoy Coffee with Ivanka Trump.” The bidding started at a hefty $50,000. The bidders admitted that they were buying access to the President.

New York Times Shatters Trump’s Denial that He Took 150G From a Ukrainian Oligarch
The New York Times posted a well researched article about Trump receiving $150,000 from a Ukrainian oligarch as payment for a twenty minute video address in September of 2015. The money was “donated” to Trump’s foundation.

And just for some balance:

Sorry GOP Haters: Clinton Foundation Given Top Rating By Charity Watchdog
The two top charity groups that independently evaluate non-profits, Charity Navigator and Charity Watch, both gave the Clinton Foundation their highest ratings.

Despite Trump’s temper tantrums and Twitter outbursts, there are good reasons for the NY Attorney General to hold him accountable for a long list of breaches of the law. In fact, it’s the validity of the charges that make Trump so angry and, quite obviously, afraid. We’ll have to wait and see where this litigation winds up, along with all of the other legal swamps Trump is currently wallowing in.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Donald Trump’s $110B Weapons Deal w/Saudi Arabia Brings Windfall for Ivanka Aligned Foundation

Posted by on May 21, 2017 at 12:09 pm. 6 Comments :

Donald Trump is currently on the first foreign trip of his presidency. The White House is portraying it as an effort to advance global cooperation and peace. His itinerary begins in Saudi Arabia, a nation with a dismal record on human rights and terrorism.

Ivanka Trump

The featured accomplishment of the trip so far is the signing of an agreement to sell $110 billion dollars of weapons to Saudi Arabia. That deal has raised concerns among foreign policy experts. They worry that the weapons could be used to further Saudi Arabia’s attacks in Yemen. Those missions have resulted in untold numbers of civilian casualties. In addition, there is concern that some of the weapons could fall into the hands of terrorists. President Obama had withheld certain categories of arms from Saudi Arabia for that reason, but Trump is permitting their sale.

Not mentioned in the Trump PR blitz is a “coincidental” financial arrangement that involves the President’s senior advisor – and daughter. Last month Ivanka Trump announced that she was working with the World Bank to start a “massive fund” to boost female entrepreneurship. The ethical dilemmas surrounding such a venture were immediately apparent. Ivanks’a role in the White House, and influence with her president father, are hard to dismiss. Consequently, the news today from the Wall Street Journal is somewhat more than troubling:

“The World Bank plans to announce Sunday at an event with Ivanka Trump, the U.S. president’s daughter and senior White House adviser, that Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates have pledged $100 million collectively toward a fund for women who own or want to start businesses, according to people familiar with the announcement.”

The advancement of women’s rights in business is unarguably an admirable pursuit. However, it is curious that Saudi Arabia is Ivanka’s premiere partner. The Kingdom is not known for its fair treatment of women. Their rights are severely curtailed, including being prohibited from independently obtaining a passport or driving a car.

Ivanka is travelling with the President this week and attending various meetings. She was at the signing of the arms deal before Sunday’s event announcing the donation. The converging optics of these two affairs are disquieting. There is an implied relationship between the donation and the arms deal. While there is no direct evidence of any quid pro quo, the perception of impropriety is inescapable. Even Trump’s press secretary, Sean Spicer, promoted it on Twitter

This is especially notable considering how Trump castigated Hillary Clinton for far less during the 2016 election. He called the Clinton Foundation a “criminal enterprise.” Trump also raised the subject at a debate (video below), demanding that Clinton return donations made by Saudi Arabia. He posted this on Facebook last June:

“Saudi Arabia and many of the countries that gave vast amounts of money to the Clinton Foundation want women as slaves and to kill gays. Hillary must return all money from such countries!”

This is the same Saudi Arabia that Trump is now effusively praising as a “magnificent Kingdom.” It’s the same country with which he just signed a “tremendous” deal to supply billions of dollars of modern weaponry. And it’s the same country that is now giving the Ivanka aligned foundation $100,000,000.00. Does that mean Ivanka is running a criminal enterprise? Is that pay-to-play? Will Trump ever acknowledge the hypocrisy? Will the media address it? Stay tuned.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

Trump Romances Billionaire Investor In The ‘Failing’ New York Times – Who’s From Mexico!

Posted by on December 20, 2016 at 11:49 am. 1 Comments :

It’s becoming more obvious every day that Donald Trump has no core principles. His moral code is strictly set to advancing whatever is in his best interest at the moment. That explains his frequent flip-flops on issues and fluid allegiances with associates. The velocity with which he can change positions is blinding. Take for example his stance on the Electoral College.

Donald Trump

Now the Washington Post is reporting that Trump dined with Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim. The news that Trump is hobnobbing with yet another billionaire isn’t exactly groundbreaking. He has already stuffed his cabinet with more of them than any of his predecessors. They seem to be the only people with whom he has any relationship.

What’s notable about this tryst is that Trump hasn’t been particularly fond of Slim, his homeland, or his business portfolio. You have to wonder what Trump’s after in inviting such a bitter foe to his luxury Mar-A-Lago resort. Trump viciously castigated Slim during the campaign, primarily for his investment in the New York Times. He said this at a rally in North Carolina on October 14:

“No paper is more corrupt than the failing ‘New York Times.’ The good news, it is failing, it won’t be around too much longer. But they are really, really bad people. The largest shareholder in the Times is Carlos Slim. Now Carlos Slim as you know comes from Mexico. He’s given many millions of dollars to the Clinton and their initiative. So Carlos Slim, largest donor of the paper, from Mexico. Reporters at the New York Times, they’re not journalists. They’re corporate lobbyists for Carlos Slim and for Hillary Clinton.”

First of all, Slim is indeed a large shareholder in the Times, but Trump is telling only part of the story. Slim’s 17 percent of the publicly traded Class A shares does not give him any clout. The vast majority of the company is owned by the Sulzberger family, including the privately held Class B shares. Additionally, Slim has no representation on the company’s board of directors. So Trump’s inference of influence by Slim is entirely a product of his warped imagination.

Secondly, the fact that Trump had to mention Slim’s Mexican heritage twice reveals the deep roots of his bigotry. He doesn’t say why it’s important, he just makes sure his audience is well aware of it.

Thirdly, Trump points out that Slim has donated to the Clinton Foundation. However, he doesn’t bother to mention that he gave $100,000 to the Foundation himself. If he’s implying that Slim was seeking some sort of benefit for his donation, then what was Trump seeking?

Finally, Trump makes a leap of illogic to assert that the reporters for the Times are somehow beholden to the Clintons. There is nothing to indicate that the Times’ reporters are in any way influenced by Slim or donations to the Clinton Foundation. This is the sort of dishonest innuendo that Trump has disgorged throughout his campaign.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

So now Trump is dining with Slim and praising him as “a wonderful man” Never mind that his website still says this about him:

“The New York Times strings are being pulled by Mexico’s Carlos Slim, a billionaire who benefits from NAFTA and supports Hillary Clinton’s open border policies.”

If any of Trump’s speculative accusations were to be taken seriously, then you would also have to apply them to his reasons for meeting with Slim now. Is Trump a shill for Slim and the Clinton Foundation? Or is he just an opportunistic con man who is out for anything he can get for himself? You don’t have to answer that.

BUSTED: Trump’s Campaign Boss Tied To FBI’s Review Of The Clinton Foundation

Posted by on November 2, 2016 at 4:41 pm. 9 Comments :

The FBI has come under sustained and deserved criticism for the past week due to public pronouncements regarding Hillary Clinton. They demonstrated a blatant double standard by releasing vague but damaging statements about Clinton a few days before an election. Those statements have allowed Clinton’s opponents to smear her, but leave her little of substance to rebut. However, the FBI refused to discuss investigations of Donald Trump’s shady connections to Russia saying that it’s too close to an election.

Comey Trump

Now the New York Times is reporting that the FBI’s inquiry into the Clinton Foundation was built on discredited reporting by a well-known anti-Clinton hack. The Times writes that the FBI’s case:

“…had not developed much evidence and was based mostly on information that had surfaced in news stories and the book ‘Clinton Cash,’ according to several law enforcement officials briefed on the case.”

In addition, CNN is reporting that internal discussions within the FBI debated whether to proceed with an investigation into the Clinton Foundation. However, according to CNN “Officials leading the meeting told the FBI that investigators hadn’t turned up much more evidence beyond that contained in ‘Clinton Cash.'” In other words, the whole affair was turning out to be a big nothingburger.

Some background is required on the book that the FBI has apparently embraced as the cornerstone of their inquisition. Clinton Cash was published last year as an attempt to connect donations to the Clinton Foundation with the personal finances of the Clintons. The book was harshly criticized for containing numerous factual errors and failing to document its thesis.

For instance, the book alleged that Clinton played a “central role” in approving the sale of a uranium company. It further alleged that she did so in return for a donation to the Clinton Foundation. In fact, the records show that Clinton didn’t weigh in on the matter at all. What’s more, the sale required the approval of nine different federal agencies, so Clinton’s participation would have had minimal impact. The book’s author later admitted in an ABC News interview that he had no evidence to substantiate his charge. That’s just one of many examples of the author’s dishonesty.

And speaking of the author, he is a long-time Republican activist named Peter Schweizer. His resume boasts stints with Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and George W. Bush. He has a history of making false allegations that often require retractions. One of his previous books was saddled with this audacious and absurd title: “Makers and Takers: Why Conservatives Work Harder, Feel Happier, Have Closer Families, Take Fewer Drugs, Give More Generously, Value Honesty More, Are Less Materialistic And Envious, Whine Less…And Even Hug Their Children More Than Liberals.” And…inhale.

Schweizer may seem like a peculiar choice for the FBI to hinge their case on. But wait up – it gets worse. Schweizer is also the president of a conservative “think” tank called the Government Accountability Institute (GAI). The GAI conducts studies that have about the same low level of credibility as Schweizer’s books. It’s purpose is to stream their poorly-sourced, partisan propaganda into the media. The chairman and founder of GAI is Stephen Bannon. Bannon is currently on leave from his job as chairman of Breitbart News so that he can run Donald Trump’s campaign for president.

So in summary, the FBI is basing their Clinton case on a widely debunked book, written by a disreputable Clinton foe, whose boss is a right-wing propagandist, and the CEO of Trump’s campaign. You may want to go back and read that sentence again slowly. It describes a severely maladjusted law enforcement agency that is improperly politicizing its work.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.

And if that weren’t enough, recall that the Times also mentioned news reports as among the FBI’s sources. Presumably they are referring to reports like the hour-long special Fox News did on Schweizer’s book. It’s one thing when dimwitted wingnuts fall for malarkey from people like Schweizer and Fox News. But it’s much more depressing – and dangerous – when the FBI does it.

Sorry GOP Haters: Clinton Foundation Given Top Rating By Charity Watchdog

Posted by on September 1, 2016 at 5:22 pm. 3 Comments :

Republicans have an obsessive compulsion to viciously denigrate anything associated with Democrats, and especially Hillary Clinton. Their derangement reached a pinnacle when they decided to go after the Clinton Foundation. It was a repugnant political tactic that could have a devastating impact on the life-saving work of the organization. Republicans, however, are more concerned with smearing Clinton than saving lives.

Hillary Clinton

Today their strategy of demonizing the Clinton’s hit a snag. Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator, completed an analysis of the Clinton Foundation that resulted in awarding it their highest rating. The Associated Press reports that:

“The Clinton Foundation received four out of four stars — the highest rating that Charity Navigator gives after a close look at a charity’s finances. The rating is based on annual federal tax documents and an objective algorithm.”

Rightist critics have been blasting the Clinton Foundation for unfounded charges of providing access to Clinton when she served as Secretary of State. To date they have produced no evidence that there were any favors or special treatment given to Foundation donors. So they re-aimed their rancor at the Foundation’s operations with charges of corruption. They alleged that the Foundation was negligent in funding worthy causes. That specific charge was refuted in by another non-profit evaluator:

“According to its 2014 consolidated tax report, the Clinton Foundation spends about 12 percent of its budget on running the foundation. Another watchdog, Charity Watch, previously gave the Clinton Foundation an “A” rating on a scale of A-F.”

Despite these glowing reviews, the GOP continues to slander the Foundation. Fox News, of course, pulled out all the stops to advance these lies. Bill O’Reilly complained that Clinton was “Using a charity for private gain.” Charles Krauthammer called it a “gigantic slush fund.” Jeanine Pirro and Monica Crowley both said it was a “money-laundering operation.” None of these charges had any evidence to back them up. Not to be left out, Donald Trump himself has taken a leading role in the obviously coordinated attacks. He alleged that the Foundation was a “vast criminal enterprise run out of the State Department.” Which begs the quest: Why did he donate $100,000 to the Foundation through his own foundation?

Speaking of which, the Trump Foundation contrasts very poorly with the admirable work done by the Clintons. Vanity Fair described it as a sham:

“Publicly available records for the Trump Foundation show that the real estate mogul has donated very little of his own money to his charity. Even more damning is the fact that few of those donations have gone to legitimate charitable causes, unless you count Trump’s own social interests and society galas as charities.”

Just this week additional proof of Trump’s corruption was exposed when it was reported that he paid a fine for making an illegal political donation with his foundation’s money. Even worse, the gift appears to be an attempt to buy off a prosecutor who was investigating him for fraud:

“Donald Trump paid a $2,500 fine to the IRS this year after it was discovered that the mogul’s namesake charity had illegally made a $25,000 political contribution, The Washington Post reported on Thursday.

“The Donald J. Trump Foundation gave the money to a group called ‘Justice for All,’ which was supporting Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi’s campaign. At the time, Bondi was weighing whether to pursue an investigation into allegations of fraud that had been leveled against Trump University. She eventually declined to bring charges.”

All of this makes it rather remarkable that Trump and his Republican cronies are condemning Clinton without any factual basis. While at the same time his reputation is in tatters and the damage is fully documented. The stellar ratings awarded to Clinton’s Foundation prove that her family has been operating their Foundation with integrity and transparency. Hopefully this news will break through the media clutter of Trump’s hate speech and phony Clinton scandals. The more we share this good news, the more good it will do come November.

How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.