Judicial Watch said Wednesday that it has obtained documents showing that Hillary Clinton's State Department rubber-stamped more than 200 conflict-of-interest reviews of proposed speaking and consulting engagements for her husband, Bill Clinton, which the group says helped the former president earn $48 million.
The government watchdog group said State's decision to approve 215 of these engagements indicates that State was essentially allowing huge banks and other major industry groups to pay speaking and consulting fees to the former president. Those approvals not only helped the Clintons earn millions, but may have allowed these industries to gain influence with Hillary Clinton, the group charges.
Judicial Watch said Wednesday that Hillary Clinton helped her husband garner millions in speaking and consulting fees by approving all conflict-of-interest reviews of those engagements. (AP Photo/Mike Groll)
"These documents are a bombshell and show how the Clintons turned the State Department into a racket to line their own pockets," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "How the Obama State Department waived hundreds of ethical conflicts that allowed the Clintons and their businesses to accept money from foreign entities and corporations seeking influence boggles the mind."
"That former President Clinton trotted the globe collecting huge speaking fees while his wife presided over U.S. foreign policy is an outrage," he added. "One can't imagine what foreign policy issues were mishandled as top State Department officials spent so much time facilitating the Clinton money machine."
Judicial Watch received information about State's approval of former President Clinton's various overseas engagements only after filing a law suit against the State Department.
That information shows that State approved appearances by President Clinton in China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Central America, Europe, Turkey, Thailand, Taiwan, India and the Cayman Islands.
The group says Clinton spoke before huge multinational banks, and technology, energy, health care and media companies.
The law suit, Judicial Watch vs. U.S. Department of State, is ongoing.
