Fact Check: Donald Trump’s False Claim on Russian Uranium Deal
In today’s speech, Donald Trump built on his reputation as a serial liar, touting false allegations sourced from a widely discredited book, Peter Schweizer’s Clinton Cash, claiming favoritism by the State Department in exchange for large speaking fees and donations to the Clinton Foundation.
Trump said, “Hillary Clinton’s State Department approved the transfer of 20% of America’s uranium holdings to Russia, while 9 investors in the deal funneled $145 million to the Clinton Foundation.”
Trump Relied on Attacks from Widely Discredited Book
No Evidence For Claims
The State Department and independent media outlets ranging from The Washington Post and the New Yorker, to Vox and ABC found the Clinton Cash contained no compelling evidence of favoritism for Clinton Foundation donors. According to the New Yorker’s John Cassidy, author Peter Schweizer “doesn’t back up his suggestions of wrongdoing with much in the way of concrete evidence.” Vox’s Jonathan Allen agreed, stating Clinton Cash failed to “prove – or even assert – that Hillary Clinton took any official action because of contributions to the Clinton Foundation,” and outlets noted that the book relied heavily on innuendo and circumstantial evidence over any hard facts.
In fact, when media outlets and experts reviewed the book, they found errors and inaccuracies that required correcting. Schweizer was forced to correct or make “significant revisions” to “seven or eight” passages containing inaccuracies, including multiple passages attempting to connect some of President Clinton’s speeches to Secretary Clinton’s actions at the State Department.
Book’s Own Author Acknowledged He Had No Evidence to Support His Conspiracy Theories
During multiple television appearances touting his book, author Peter Schweizer was forced to admit that he had no concrete evidence of the alleged quid pro quos for Clinton Foundation donors. The Hill reported on Schweizer’s acknowledgment that “he has no smoking gun proving that either Hillary Clinton or former President Bill Clinton sought to further the interests of donors to the Clinton Foundation in improper ways.” During an appearance on ABC, Schweizer simply stated, “we don’t have direct evidence,” for the assertions in the book. Even Fox News reported on the author’s acknowledgment that he lacked evidence.
Trump’s False Claim of Hillary Clinton’s Undue Influence Approving Russian Purchase of Uranium Company Has Been Debunked
Today, Donald Trump asserted that as Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton exerted her influence to approve the purchase of a large uranium mining company, Uranium One, by Russia. This claim has been widely reviewed and debunked. Despite the claims made by Trump, Hillary Clinton could not exert undue influence on approval of the sale because the State Department was just one of nine agencies represented on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (C.F.I.U.S.), which reviews such sales. The deal needed approval from multiple U.S. agencies and the Canadian government. Moreover, the State Department representative to C.F.I.U.S. said Hillary Clinton was not involved on the State Department’s review and did not discuss the uranium sale and called claims to the contrary “absurd conspiracy theories.” Clinton Cash author, Peter Schweizer, was forced to admit on ABC, “We don’t have direct evidence” that Hillary Clinton intervened in the deal, and FactCheck.org made clear that Clinton could not have “stopped the deal” through a veto.
The former chairman of Uranium One also made clear that he became a donor to the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative well before the sale was being considered and rejected any claims that donations could be implied as an effort to influence the U.S. government’s review of the sale. Another supposed benefactor from the sale and Clinton Foundation donor, Frank Giustra, actually sold his stake in the company before the sale and more than 18 months before Hillary Clinton became Secretary of State, another truth Schweizer was forced to confront on ABC.
Clinton Foundation Work Affects Millions of Lives
The Clinton Foundation is a global non-profit organization dedicated to increasing opportunity for women and girls, improving global health, and creating economic opportunity and growth around the world. Despite right wing attacks, the Foundation has been praised by national and international leaders, business, and charity organizations for its effective and lifesaving work around the globe. Among its numerous initiatives, the Clinton Foundation has ensured access to affordable HIV/AIDS treatment to 9.9 million people, reducing the costs of treatments by over 80% . Since its inception, the Clinton Global Initiative has brought together philanthropists and businesses to improve the lives of over 430 million people.
Donations to Clinton Foundation Go Directly to These Charitable Activities
Philanthropists are attracted to the Clinton Foundation due to its highly regarded efficiency. The American Institute of Philanthropy awarded the Foundation consecutive A and A+ ratings for using nearly all contributions for its charitable activities. Following attacks on the Clinton Foundation’s fundraising, FactCheck.org highlighted that the Foundation “conducts most of its charitable activities directly,” ensuring that the vast majority of money raised would be used to further its global mission.
Even Donald Trump Has Supported the Clinton Foundation
Donald Trump was a supporter of the Clinton Foundation. Individually and through the Donald J. Trump Foundation, he has donated more than $100,000 to the Foundation and has attended a meeting of Clinton Global Initiative. Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka, also supported the Clinton Foundation with donations between $5,000 and $10,000.
http://correctrecord.org/fact-check-donald-trumps-false-claim-on-russian-uranium-deal/
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