“Clinton Cash” controversy brings reminder of past scandals


On May 5, author Peter Schweizer will release his new book Clinton Cash: The Untold Story of How and Why Foreign Governments and Business Helped Make Bill and Hillary Rich.

Schweizer told ABC in an interview that his book exposes 12 incidents in which Hillary Clinton was giving governmental power to those who gave money to her foundation or her husband. Naturally, the Clinton campaign is calling all of the alleged instances a coincidence. Media outlets have led their own investigations on some of the leaked claims, with some calling the situation a scandal and others calling it baseless.

Discovering the truth of these claims is important from a legal perspective, particularly if it turns out that Clinton did anything illegal. As far as Clinton’s campaign is concerned, however, it doesn’t matter if the allegations are true or not.

The Clinton campaign advertises her as the tried and true candidate, but according to one poll, a majority of Americans believe she is untrustworthy. A Quinnipiac University poll indicates that 54 percent of Americans believe Clinton is not honest.

America’s distrust of Clinton should not be much of a surprise to the campaign; the Clinton family legacy is littered with scandal. Bill Clinton faced extramarital affairs, avoiding the draft, Whitewater, illegal campaign contributions and finally, impeachment. Clinton was wrapped up in her husband’s affairs, but she has also faced her own in the past couple years.

The committee hearings regarding Clinton’s private email and Benghazi have yet to take place, but Clinton is set to testify the week of May 18, right around the time when she will give a larger-scale campaign announcement speech. Perhaps the Clinton campaign was hoping that this date would mean the end of scandal for her, and she could claim a clear conscious in her speech.

If Clinton history tells us anything, however, Benghazi and personal emails will just be the start of a long list of controversy to be associated with this campaign.

Clinton Cash is already causing controversy and it hasn’t even been released yet. Though some of the claims, such as whether any policy was changed in favor of donors, might be dismissed upon further investigation, what cannot be dismissed is the immense wealth the Clintons have amassed since Bill left office. While exact numbers aren’t known, some estimate that the Clintons are worth between $100 and $200 million dollars. Bill Clinton runs away with hundreds of thousands of dollars per paid speech, and the majority of that money comes from foreign speeches. As of June 2014, Bill had made $56.3 million from foreign speeches alone. That mass of foreign money doesn’t fit with Clinton’s “champion of the everyday American” narrative.

The media has already labeled the book as “another Clinton scandal,” which could be enough to tip those who weren’t so sure about Clinton over the edge. If nothing else, the scandal will remind Americans exactly how wealthy the Clinton family is. If the book prompts any further investigation, Clinton Cash could go further and destroy her campaign altogether. For now, Clinton needs to be careful with what she denies. America eventually found out about her husband’s sexual relations with that woman, and the last thing Clinton needs is an incriminating sound bite of her own.

Claire Cahoon is a sophomore majoring in English. “Point/Counterpoint” ran Tuesdays.

1 reply
  1. Liberty Minded
    Liberty Minded says:

    The Clintons are exhibit one of people that are rich that can’t leave other people alone. Without the power of government they do not have power over other people’s lives. With the power of government, they have the force of millions of employees, soldiers and trillions of dollars to harass people.

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