A report in The New York Times highlights another intriguing Clinton Foundation activity. According to the report, former President Bill Clinton turned down repeated offers to speak at Czech model Petra Nemcova's annual charity event benefitting Happy Hearts until she directly offered the Clinton family's foundation $500,000 of the proceeds for appearing. (Happy Hearts is a charity that helps rebuild schools after natural disasters. It was created after Nemcova survived the 2004 tsunami that devastated Indonesia and parts of Thailand.)
Doug White, director of Columbia University's fundraising management program, told The Times that the arrangement was strange because Clinton's foundation is so much bigger. "This is primarily a small but telling example of the way the Clintons operate," White said. "The model has responsibility; she paid a high price for a feel-good moment with Bill Clinton. But he was riding the back of this small charity for what? A half-million bucks? I find it — what would be the word? — distasteful." The Times story, written by investigative reporter Deborah Sontag, described the charity-to-charity payment model as "extremely rare" for a fundraising event.
Doug White, director of Columbia University's fundraising management program, told The Times that the arrangement was strange because Clinton's foundation is so much bigger. "This is primarily a small but telling example of the way the Clintons operate," White said. "The model has responsibility; she paid a high price for a feel-good moment with Bill Clinton. But he was riding the back of this small charity for what? A half-million bucks? I find it — what would be the word? — distasteful." The Times story, written by investigative reporter Deborah Sontag, described the charity-to-charity payment model as "extremely rare" for a fundraising event.
"Distasteful," huh? I suppose that depends on just what exactly the meaning of "distasteful" is. How about "scandalous." "Outrageous." "Unethical." "Degrading." And "avaricious, grasping, greedy, mercenary, acquisitive, and rapacious," not to mention "border-line criminal."
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