WikiLeaks: Baseless ‘Pay To Play’ Accusation Against Clinton For Morocco Speech She Didn’t Give

[DonViejo]

WikiLeaks: Baseless ‘Pay To Play’ Accusation Against Clinton For Morocco Speech She Didn’t Give

Zachary Pleat and Matt Gertz

CNN’s Jake Tapper and Fox News’ Chris Wallace pushed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s baseless accusation that stolen emails released by WikiLeaks shows former secretary of state Hillary Clinton engaged in “pay to play” with the Moroccan government.

The two January 2015 emails in question show a discussion between aides Robby Mook and Huma Abedin about whether Clinton would participate in an upcoming Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) summit in Morocco. Abedin expressed concern about Clinton cancelling her appearance, saying that Moroccan king Mohammed VI pledged $12 million to the Clinton Foundation’s charitable efforts and was expecting Clinton’s participation.

On October 21, Trump said during a rally in North Carolina, “Now from WikiLeaks, we just learned she tried to get 12 million (dollars) from the king of Morocco for an appearance. More pay for play.” On October 23, Tapper and Wallace questioned Mook, who is now Clinton’s campaign manager, about the emails released by WikiLeaks. On State of the Union, Tapper, although noting that Clinton didn’t go to Morocco, insisted that “this is a real issue … pay to play.” And on Fox News Sunday, Wallace asked, “Why wasn’t that classic pay to play?”

The suggestion that Clinton’s activities with regard to Morocco are a corrupt pay to play are dubious for three reasons.

First, there is no evidence that Clinton offered Morocco’s leadership any government action. In fact, she was in no position to do so, as the summit was scheduled for more than two years after she stepped down as secretary of state.

Second, in spite of Abedin’s concerns, Clinton did not actually attend the summit and it went forward anyway.

Third, according to ABC News, “Clinton Foundation records do not show any direct pledge of funding from the king or government of Morocco to the charity.” ABC suggests that this is because the $12 million pledge was actually a commitment to CGI, which are “agreements only to aid the program’s international projects, not to directly fund the Clinton Foundation itself.”

-snip-

http://www.nationalmemo.com/baseless-accusation-clinton-morocco-speech/?utm_campaign=website&utm_source=sd&utm_medium=email

[NCTraveler]

1. I wish journalism were alive today. Honest reporting on these illegal hacks...

would truly show the honesty and integrity of Clinton.

These people are sick in how they report.

[unblock]

2. aside from all that, "pay for access" is commonly accepted standard for all politicians.

if it isn't 100% of all congresscritters and presidents, going back for decades, it's pretty damn close.

one could argue that "pay for access" is unethical, but then you'd have to completely upend the way political campaigns are funded.

the art of the politician is to take the money, grant access, schmooze and pose for the photo-op, smile and listen intently to the request for government services, make the person feel heard, then don't actually change your position or otherwise do anything that could be construed as an actual quid pro quo.