International, Politics

“Bill Clinton, Inc”: Top Clinton Aide Details For-Profit Deals With Clinton with Laureate International and Other Donors

bill_clinton_by_gage_skidmoreWikileaksThe Wikileaks disclosures continue to hound the Clintons and the recent release implicates the relationship between Bill Clinton and for-profit educational company, Laureate International. I previously wrote about the huge payments given to Bill Clinton by Laureate, a controversial global educational company that gave Clinton millions while his wife was Secretary of State. Now, emails reveal that one of Clinton’s closest aides, Doug Band, describes Bill Clinton’s use of the Clinton Foundation as a mean to secure personal windfalls as “Bill Clinton, Inc.”

I have long been a critic of many online courses. The rise of online courses has allowed for an increase in dubious pitches and practices that prey upon people who cannot afford or attend a traditional academic institution. Laureate is a massive, mega-corporation that is often criticized for its impact on education. As companies maximize profits, students often become a mere cost of doing business. The rate of default has been higher at such for-profit universities and less than half of students at for-profit schools actually finish such programs accordingly to Brookings. Laureate is often cited as the leader in reducing education to a commodity in a mass for-profit enterprise. The company has made huge profits and is worth over $4 billion. Indeed, shortly before Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy for president and denounced for-profit educational companies, Bill Clinton severed his ties with Laureate.

Laureate Education paid Bill Clinton an obscene $16.5 million between 2010 and 2014 to serve as an honorary chancellor for Laureate International Universities. Various news outlets said that neither Clinton nor Laureate were forthcoming on how much he was paid for the controversial association. Bill Clinton worked as the “honorary chancellor” and gave speeches in various countries and was heavily touted by the for-profit company to attract students. The size of this payment (which has been widely reported) raises obvious concerns as to what the company was seeking to achieve and whether Laureate received any benefit from the association with the State Department given its massive international operations.

Now Band is shown stating exactly what critics have been saying: there is a highly problematic pattern in how the Clintons mixed personal and foundation businesses. Under fire over his own simultaneous positions working as a Clinton aide while maintaining a for-profit business, Band suggested that (if he was to be viewed as double dealing) Bill Clinton would be far worse. He referred to the former President as “Bill Clinton Inc” due to his use of Foundation donors to not just pay for travel but generate personal profits.

The 2011 memo revealed how Band and another aide helped Bill Clinton snare at least $50 million in speaking fees and other ventures. We discussed earlier how Band discussed the Clinton Global Initiative and a new business started by top Clinton aide Doug Band called Teneo Holdings. Both Band and Clinton’s held dual positions with Teneo and CGI. Bond wrote a November 17th email to John Podesta, Chairman of the 2016 Hillary Clinton presidential campaign and long-time Clinton confidant. He objected to Pedestal that “I signed a conflict of interest policy as a board member of cgi . . . Oddly, [Bill Clinton] does not have to sign such a document even though he is personally paid by 3 cgi sponsors, gets many expensive gifts from them, some that are at home etc. . . I could add 500 different examples of things like this.” Band was on the Clinton Foundation payroll through 2011, but, in June 2011, he and co-founder Declan Kelly, a former economic envoy for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, started Teneo in June 2011. They then made Bill Clinton a paid adviser. Chelsea Clinton was then appointed to the CGI board. Teneo then accepted money from groups like MF Global, a controversial brokerage firm that reportedly lost $600 million of investors’ money and had business deals that could be benefited by an association with the Secretary of State.

The 12-page memo from Doug Band talked about how he and other secured money for the ex-president and Clinton’s namesake foundation: “Throughout the past almost 11 years since President Clinton left office, I have sought to leverage my activities, including my partner role at Teneo, to support and to raise funds for the Foundation. This memorandum strives to set forth how I have endeavored to support the Clinton Foundation and President Clinton personally.” The email has a slightly menacing tone as Band includes section headings like “For-Profit Activity of President Clinton (i.e., Bill Clinton, Inc.).” Band describes the fluid line between Clinton’s public interest work with the Foundation and his seeking personal payments from donors. Band discusses how he and Clinton aide Justin Cooper “found, developed and brought” to Clinton advisory arrangements that “yielded tens of millions” and specifically cited “$20 million in speeches for the President have derived … from Justin and my efforts.” The controversial Teneo company worked to arrange these fees for Clinton from corporations. Band then adds that he made a lot of money for the Clintons but “Neither Justin nor I are separately compensated for these activities.”

One of those companies was Laureate International.

Band himself is the latest aide given problematic positions with the State Department or the Foundation while pursing private gain. Such dual roles have already been raised with regard to Huma Adedin and others. When Sidney Blumenthal (who is widely viewed as a somewhat shady Clinton operative) was blocked by the Obama Administration from being given a State Department job, he was instead given a job at the Foundation. Band suggests that he was a type of “earner” for Clinton and describes a highly uncertain line between Foundation work and work for the Clintons.

85 thoughts on ““Bill Clinton, Inc”: Top Clinton Aide Details For-Profit Deals With Clinton with Laureate International and Other Donors”

  3. HRC continues to inspire creative critters – funny take on her Jimmy Fallon appearance

    1. Love use of the term “(s)election.” Ain’t it the truth? Clinton’s so far right at this point, she’ll run away with it and, as Indie Bob wrote, we’ll get eight more years of this crap.

  4. We are now seeing why Obama scrambled to get Ecuador to cut off Assange’s internet last week. Hillary is again asking about Assange, “Can’t we drone this guy?”

  5. Jill, word is that Obama is going to try to quietly shove thru the TPP after the (s)election.

    Looking across the pond the Belgians were brought to heel – the Walloons bravely fought CETA but now it’s going through.

    1. Autumn,

      I think the oligarchy is now going for broke. They will select Clinton and they will meet any resistance to her/their plans with militarized force against our citizens (or perhaps a war or perhaps something else vicious that they think up).

      I think they possibly? understand that too many people are on to them. It is my hope that people will meet the oligarchy with something the oligarchy doesn’t understand–principled, peaceful, courageous and thoughtful protest.

      Clearly they would prefer a violent protest. They have all the tools necessary to face that type of protest and crush it. What they don’t know how to deal with is sincerity and love of one’s nation, concern for other countries’ people and love of the earth itself. They don’t experience these emotions so they cannot defeat them so easily.

      They will respond with extreme force, the only thing they know how to do. But sometimes courage and an honest love for what is good is stronger than all the force these shallow, bad intentioned, greedy and cruel people will array against us.

      We are going to find out if this is true.

        1. Steve, thanks for posting. Jimmy Dore, Jordan, along with the rest of alt/Left — and alt/right seems to be working overtime. So much information it’s almost overwhelming.

      2. Here’s exactly what I mean: “Hundreds of police in riot gear and with heavy military equipment have moved Dakota Access Pipeline protesters from their encampment on private land in North Dakota. Police have reportedly arrested 16 demonstrators so far.
        Police have entered the sacred ground camp and surrounded protesters there. The stream from the site showed more than one hundred protesters on the front line.”

        https://www.rt.com/usa/364462-north-dakota-camp-removed/

        Ultimately, the police will not win this battle.

      3. Jill, good and loving approach – you have more faith than I do. I am looking more at a “Fahrenheit 451” scenario where people will connect outside of the system and preserve all that is good about humankind. Which book will I be? Or play?

        Seriously, this is a nightmare! Not so much for me as I am a “Gen Xer” but for the emerging generations as power grows without any barriers, democracy is eroded, the police state grows and justice and rule of law becomes a memory.

        The balkanization will increase. Boy, am I feeling dark right now! =)

  6. Here’s a whole set of pay to play and other open corruption that wikileaks put together:

    https://search.wikileaks.org/?query=“quid+pro+quo”+|+”pay+to+play”+-“news+clips”&exact_phrase=&any_of=&exclude_words=&document_date_start=&document_date_end=&released_date_start=&released_date_end=&publication_type[]=46&publication_type[]=45&publication_type[]=42&order_by=newest_released_date#results

  7. Steve Groen, you have a very eloquent and civil way of stating your point of view. You state your case without crudeness. But I do think we have to get used to 8 more years of thic crap. There I go again.

    1. Independent Bob: You make a very good point. One can almost guarantee eight years of the Clinton deception machine. Trump, on the other hand, may ignite the first impeachment and conviction in the Senate.

      What’s better, shi’ite on a platter or shi’ite on platter with maggots sprinkled on for color?

      1. Steve,

        I just read a good Thomas Sowell article where he states voting for Trump is the right choice because out of the two, he IS impeachable. That is to say, if he gets in, he will not be protected from the house and senate if he goes off the rails. Hillary on the other hand will be protected because she is female and owns the press much like Obama is protected because he is black. It’s an interesting take on a who’s worst presidency. Vote for who you think is more impeachable so we can protect ourselves!

        2. Jim22,
          That is about all we can do at this point. I made a similar argument in this blog yesterday, Trump’s administration will be under the bipartisan microscope and hounded by the press. Clinton will own Congress much in the same way as Obama; and forget about the press corp.

        3. Jim22: The logic makes sense. Trump will be under intense pressure from both parties, while Clinton will have an army of staffers devoted to nothing short of a ministry of propaganda. If I were voting for either of them, and knowing what Clinton will do based on what she’s done, I’d vote for Trump.

  9. Olly,

    re: “These useful idiots are either willfully hoping to destroy what’s left of our civil liberties or ignorantly enabling the very same outcome.”

    I argue about this all the time with my husband as he is concerned that I am alienating and even losing long term friends over this election. He thinks HRC supporters are brainwashed and thus ignorant of the stakes.

    I disagree – as the majority of my friends have advanced degrees, are avid readers, have traveled widely so I will not cut them slack. I have sent them fact after fact and they refuse to even engage with me. It would be one thing if they were uneducated, simple-minded folks – then I could excuse them.

  10. It’s preposterous to continue to defend the Clintons given the enormous amounts of EVIDENCE to support the “conspiracy” theories to actually be true. When I read their only defense is limited to a claim the Russian’s are trying to influence our electoral process, that only demonstrates just how stupid they believe their base is. They are about to vote for a candidate that has PROVEN she WILL NOT respect the rule of law. These useful idiots are either willfully hoping to destroy what’s left of our civil liberties or ignorantly enabling the very same outcome.

  12. There is more than enough evidence to indict both Clintons. Yet nothing is happening. This is a very scary state of affairs. Just so you will not think I am a partisan, let me go back to Dick Cheney’s JSOC assassination crew. There was enough evidence to indict in that case as well. Yet nothing was done. We have people at the highest level of the elected govt. engaging in illegal actions, up to and including murder and torture. WTF?

    It is truly difficult to hear defenses of this from Clinton supporters. What do you think you are helping to accomplish besides her election? Does the destruction of our and other nations mean so little to Clinton people? Evidently so.

    Clinton is also into inciting violence within the population. That is completely irresponsible and reprehensible.

    The govt., both elected and shadow is accountable to no one. The press largely remains silent, playing Judas against the people for their 30 pieces of silver. This is a level of complicity with corruption that is shameful.

    It is we the people who will need to peacefully find a way to stop this corruption. It would be a really good start to take off the partisan blinders and work for the good, not for some corrupt, evil couples’ ascension to the throne.

  13. It is nice to know the thoughts captured in the various social media platforms (like this one) will be forever time-stamped. I want future generations to be able to reconstruct the public sentiment with the political and social happenings of the times. They will quickly discover who the Gruber’s were and their complicity in the corruption of America.

    Keep ’em coming.

    1. Yes, I’ve been thinking the same thing. Although there are ways to scrub all of this, so we’ll see what methods they go through eliminate any opposing narrative.

  14. The Clinton’s are Arkansas trailer trash. They are now wealthy trailer trash, but trash nonetheless. Chrissake, did intellectually honest people need these hacked emails to know the Clinton Foundation was just a scam to make these scum wealthy??

    There are always flags to watch for when analyzing people. That’s my biz. Take note on when, albeit seldom, the MSM report on the Wikileaks emails. The NYT, WashPo, etc. all repeatedly call them “STOLEN” not hacked.

    1. Nick,

      re: “Chrissake, did intellectually honest people need these hacked emails to know the Clinton Foundation was just a scam to make these scum wealthy??”

      Therein lies the problem my friend! HRC supporters are not intellectually honest. I am still recovering from an encounter I had last Saturday with some millenials. All are journalists at our local daily. Nice people, educated, passionate – except when it comes to analyzing HRC. I brought up my theory that the MSM is toast and that only regional press would survive as communities can hold their feet to the fire. I said this (s)election has exposed the dishonesty of the press – especially the NY Times and Wash Post. The reaction I got was amazing. They flew at me like bats – saying those were the most steller newspapers, etc. I disagreed – offering up how the Wash Post ran 16 negative articles in 16 hours against Bernie, threw Assange under the bus even though he gave them the Pulitzer, that Bezos has ruined the paper and what about the Wikileaks revelations?

      Answer: all papers are biased and Bezos has the most incredible business model, platform, delivery, blah blah.

      I asked were they aware of Breitbart, RT.com, Democracy Now, TYT’s Jordan, Jimmy, etc. No, they weren’t. AND not interested.

      So, these young ladies are willing to suspend all logic and facts and would jump at the opportunity of working at the Times or Post.

      Feeling sad and demoralized I went outside and joined the guys – none of whom were journalists btw. A Marine vet, park ranger, coder, and graphic designer. They are voting for Trump and one is voting Johnson. They were fully aware of the dire situation we are in – knew all about the ramifications of the TPP (none of the ladies had ever heard of it!!), knew about Bernie being destroyed and like Tulsi Gabbard (another person the ladies were unaware of).

      Sigh, I fear the identity politics thang has affected my younger sisters – voting for a vagina. I had thought that was confined to older feminists.

      As Michelle would say “I was shaken to my core”

      1. I have found many women defending Hillary because to admit that she doesn’t deserve their vote is admitting that the abortions they all got were the abomination that Trump declares them to be.

        I know this sounds simplistic, but I really think it’s a big part of their delusion.

      2. Autumn, You are supremely intellectually honest and a great addition to this blog.

    2. Yes, intellectually honest people, as did most people, did need to see it in black and white, as that reduces all the other possible explanations as to why we are seeing the smoke but no fire.

      It is the same dynamic that happened with Edward Snowden, there were shouts and indications and some expose’s of what the NSA was doing, but no one knew for sure. With the release of information coming right from the horses’ mouths, and their affiliates, we now know so many innocuous explanations are bunk, and the corruption is what we thought it was.

      So innuendo and good guesses are one thing, but having it laid out before us like this is a whole ‘nother animal.

    3. Nick: I agree. There’s nothing worse than someone deceitfully reaching for your wallet after talking of others’ misery.

      Remember Jim and Tammy Baker crying for the downtrodden, and then saying something like, “here’s what I did to help,” and then we see Jim pulling out his credit card and raising it to show the folks at home.

      Nothing but the same old story . . . on steroids.

      1. Steve, Great analogy w/ the Clinton’s and Jim and Tammy Baker. My dear mother would send hard earned money to the snake oil salesman Benny Hinn. My sister was gravely ill and my otherwise wise mother was very vulnerable. I despise the ilk.

    4. Hillary’s an haut bourgeois from Chicago. Bilge’s mother was a skilled worker (nurse-anaesthetist, salaried or hourly) and his adoptive father a partner in the family auto parts business. Roger Clinton and his brothers owned a number of businesses around Hot Springs. Bill’s roots are small town petty bourgeois and not impecunious at all (by the standard of living prevalent in Arkansas ca. 1959). What’s notable is what unappealing people all four parents were, Bilge’s mama a partial exception. By all accounts, Virginia Dell Cassidy [fill in married name] was an engaging if vulgar woman (drank too much, read the Daily Racing Form at work, used too much Maybelline, and fancied bad boys). Roger Clinton was a drunk and a mean one. Hugh Rodham was putatively cruel in his way but not violent or dipsomanical. As for Dorothy Rodham, her nephew offered this “It seems like she can’t get along in life unless she’s really pissed at someone.’

      Not trash. Just a disgrace to the bearers of bourgeois dignity.

      1. Toads writes, “As for Dorothy Rodham, her nephew offered this ‘It seems like she can’t get along in life unless she’s really pissed at someone.’” Dorothy might have been a great lawyer.

        “Not trash. Just a disgrace to the bearers of bourgeois dignity.” I never knew one could distinguish dignity by socioeconomic class. I learn something new every day.

        Try being a Cubs fan for a day. Go Cubs!

  15. Have no fear professor, the Republicans are going to start impeachment proceedings on Nov 9, and will grind this country to a freaking halt while they hold their breath and throw non-stop tantrums.

    You better hope that Mike Pence and Paul Ryan show up on stage with Trump on election night and make him concede before they have him dragged off the stage in a straight jacket.

    John McCain has already promised 4-8 years of NO new SCOTUS justices during Democratic presidencies, so imagine how well that’s going to go. Maybe you and your pals here are happy about that, but the rest of the world is going to keep going while we collapse into our self-made sewer of hate.

    1. Well, happened by several Clinton TV spots last night, and all they did was project more hate. Just heard another report from an acquaintance from South Africa. Media is apparently is only legally allowed to report events there. The consensus there is, “why is she not in jail???” If you travel, you better be ready to defend your position. Pretty much the rest of the world sees her for what she is, and are fearful. If she is elected, we’ll pretty much become isolated, at a quicker rate than we are now. Think Germany is going to stand up with us after the VW payback? China is burning our treasury notes and buying up yen. The world is trying to move past our export of death and destruction. Outside the media and entertainment industry, I believe most Americans see this policy as no means to a bright future and would like to move ahead with change. I guess the only good news is that if she becomes Prez, it might hasten our irrelevance as our thumb-breaking gang NATO deteriorates when the current participating countries look for greener pastures. No one is happy with Trump, but he might just crack the door. Talk about hate, turn the TV around for 2 minutes at news time this evening and see what Trump did wrong today. Don’t hear any talk about issues…

      1. slohrss29,

        Good post. but I fear the Germany I grew up in is finished. Merkel is owned by our mendacious leaders. This article, “An Update from Germany” is one of the best I’ve read and backs up what I have heard from friends who still live there. comments are also enlightening – the new world order pushed by corporations is real. I hold Obama, HRC and the rest of neo cons / neo libs including the Republican establishment directly responsible for this growing horror show. I just hope Austria and France can wrest back their statehoods.

        http://www.unz.com/ldinh/an-update-from-germany/

    2. There’s just something humorous about a liberal talking about hate. Man, if there was ever a playbook to follow, it would be their platform.

      1. Yep, just look at the celebrities and TV spots. It’s nice we have all the actors and comedians to educate us, tell us how and why to keep hating. I find it so ironic that Matt Damon has made a mint fighting the forces he represents in real life. Talk about irony. Turn these people off and watch the Science Channel.

        1. True, is there anything more precious than the female celebrity liberal elite telling us how bad Trump is for women? Hillary as their savior is downright comical. It really shows that their “cause” is an empty vessel.

    4. Hmmm. I don’t remember that coming up on any of his lists of things he wants to get done during the first 100 days, or as soon as possible.

      What I do see him doing is “draining the swamp” of people like Loretta Lynch and the like and letting the new, competent, honest replacements DO THEIR JOB FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

      What a concept.

  16. Just what should a President do when his term expires? Operating a foundation where contacts around the world contribute to advance health and education seems like a good option. It’s easy to attack anything anyone does no matter how beneficial to the rest of the world. No good deed goes unpunished.

    1. Have you looked at the percentage of donations that are actually reaching needy people? Not what Hillary
      says it is, but what the facts say. It’s very small. That’s bad enough, but the play-for-pay aspect is what is
      truly deplorable. For example, Hillary gave away 20% of our uranium supplies for a donation. It’s not hard to connect the dots.

      1. “Hillary gave away 20% of our uranium supplies for a donation” -And she magically managed to persuade the 8 other regulatory agencies required to ratify the deal. Connect the dots.

  17. If there was ever an argument for “cleaning house”, “draining the swamp”, etc., this is it. We can’t rely on any government entity to police this because they’re obviously all part-of the fix. Hopefully, the flawed Trump is a true born-again Christian and will seek God Almighty’s wisdom as he goes farther. We must all pray for God’s wisdom and mercy.

    2. If you believe Trump is any kind of born again whatsoever, I have this awesome casino investment you should take a look at. PM me bro, it’s amazing. A sure thing. Can’t lose.It’s YUGE.

      1. Oh, you never know. Miracles have happened. In the meantime, he says he believes in the Constitution of theUnited States of America…he is pro-life…and he understands that more than the innocent are coming across our borders. That’s good enough for me.

    3. The best we can hope for is that Trump will be a start. It all has to happen with a start. He won’t be part of the solution, but he can at least drive in the wedge that could open the dam.

  19. Well it won’t affect the true believers vote – it’s a question of morality and as with supporting the Clintons and turning their backs on their sisters thus victimizing them and others – they have no morality. You’ve go that political group victimizing the elderly and retired with the inflation, devaluation, debt repudiation cycle – and victimizing there health insurance and costs – and ad nauseum but they do not care.

    Now they are pushing hard on vote early so they can’t change their votes once cast. Is there no shame in these people? No. None at all. All they seek is eight more years of free ride rip offs.

    So who does that leave?

    the unregistered pool is out except in the same day register and vote states….
    the registered but not expected to vote is probably the single largest group left.

    even the military has been infected and that after being treat rather despicably by that political groupl

    Do the best you can and good luck to everyone. Parachutes on?

  20. Why the Clinton Foundation, whichever its state of incorporation, hasn’t been lost its tax status or at least been subject to a thorough state inquiry might suggest to some that the gift of giving is wide spread.

    Bill and Hillary Clinton are two lawyers who have turned the appearance of impropriety into an empire.

    1. “might suggest to some that the gift of giving is wide spread.”

      Indeed it does.

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