A Donor’s Gift Soon Followed Clinton’s Help

[NightWatcher]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/washington/04clinton.html?_r=1

A Donor’s Gift Soon Followed Clinton’s Help

By CHARLIE SAVAGE
Published: January 3, 2009
WASHINGTON — An upstate New York developer donated $100,000 to former President Bill Clinton’s foundation in November 2004, around the same time that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton helped secure millions of dollars in federal assistance for the businessman’s mall project.

Mrs. Clinton helped enact legislation allowing the developer, Robert J. Congel, to use tax-exempt bonds to help finance the construction of the Destiny USA entertainment and shopping complex, an expansion of the Carousel Center in Syracuse.

Mrs. Clinton also helped secure a provision in a highway bill that set aside $5 million for Destiny USA roadway construction.

The bill with the tax-free bonds provision became law in October 2004, weeks before the donation, and the highway bill with the set-aside became law in August 2005, about nine months after the donation.

<snip>

His contribution is the only known situation so far in which an American donor gave a large sum to Mr. Clinton’s foundation while benefiting from his wife’s official actions. Mr. Reines said that Mrs. Clinton did not solicit the donation from Mr. Congel or discuss it with him or anyone on his behalf, and that she was unaware of its timing and size until last month.

<snip>

Although Mr. Congel has sometimes given money to Democrats, he is a major Republican campaign fund-raiser. In 2004, he was a “Bush Ranger,” gathering more than $200,000 in bundled contributions for the Bush-Cheney re-election effort.

In the most recent election cycle, he donated money to the Republican National Committee and to the Republican presidential primary campaigns of Rudolph W. Giuliani, Fred D. Thompson and Mitt Romney.

<snip>

According to the Federal Election Commission Web site, Mr. Congel gave $2,000 to Mrs. Clinton’s campaign in October 1999 and gave her political action committee a total of $12,500 from March 2002 to January 2005. He has continued to donate to Mrs. Clinton’s campaigns in the years since the two bills helping Destiny USA passed.

<snip>

Keith Ashdown, the chief investigator for Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonprofit group, said the money illustrated why donations to presidential foundations should be disclosed.

There may be no wrongdoing, but this gives the appearance of a quid pro quo. Now as Clinton seks to be confirmed as Secretary of State and travel the world as our foreign policy figurehead, we need to ask who else has given the Clinton's money and what else might they be expecting in return.

[terisan]

1. Yes indeed, and for everyone in the new administration with no exceptions.

Corruption free government must be the highest priority.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Anything that gets money to Upstate is a good thing. nt

[HeraldSquare212]

3. LOL.

[Captain Hilts]

4. Been to Utica lately? Schenectedy? Rochester?

[HeraldSquare212]

6. You're saying a little corruption is OK it gets money upstate?

I figured you were kidding. My idea for upstate: reopen the Erie Canal.

PS Don't lecture me about upstate, either - I live in NYC and help subsidize upstate through my taxes.

[Captain Hilts]

8. The Erie Canal IS open and traffic on it has doubled. Freight, actually. nt

[HeraldSquare212]

10. Yes, but I think it should be expanded for more traffic.

[paulk]

9. that attitude is why so many people in upstate despise NYC

many, if not most, would be quite pleased if NYC was a seperate state.

and the idea that NYC subsidizes upstate is horseshit.

[HeraldSquare212]

11. the entitlement mentality upstate is why so many downstaters despise upstaters

I've never felt much love from upstate for downstate, despite the money we send your way. And it is true. In fact, upstate even wants prisons to house downstate convicts because it increases their population in the census and helps preserve congressional districts upstate. For some reason we're supposed to support areas that are not economically viable just because...what? because that's where you'd prefer to live?

But I am all for supporting upstate, including a massive renewal of the Erie Canal as a transportation asset, to create jobs in construction and as an initiative against climate change by taking trucks off the highways.

[marshall]

5. This is inevitable with the Clintons

The foundation's monetary tendrils are very far reaching. There are thousands of donors all over the world. If she is going to continue in public service the public is just going to have to accept this kind of thing, and she will have to continue to do the best she can to maintain a wall between donors and the decisions she makes.

[Blarch]

7. If ANYONE in the Clinton camp

had talked with this person about a donation, then she needs to be arrested.

[Vattel]

12. If there was no wrongdoing, who cares?

It's impossible for someone in Clinton's position to avoid the appearance of quid pro quos.

[PresidentObama]

13. GASP. She was a politician!? NO, SAY IT AIN'T SO!!

To repeat a line from your OP: There may be no wrongdoing.

Very well. NEXT...

[polmaven]

14. Who CARES if there was wrongdoing ot not

or to where the donation went, for that matter....This is the Clintons we're talking about. If one of them coughs it is obvious they have committed an act for which they should be jailed. Didn't you get the memo????

And, with the mood around here lately, I guess I need to say :sarcasm: