Clinton Foundation rejects allegations it aided Clinton friends

(CNN) - The Clinton Foundation is denying a Wall Street Journal report that alleged the organization steered money to a for-profit company partly owned by Clinton friends and Democratic donors.
Clinton Foundation spokesman Craig Minassian insisted Thursday that "absolutely" no laws were broken despite the Wall Street Journal's suggestion that the foundation might have violated a federal law that tax-exempt non-profit organizations must act in the public interest and not in any private interest.

The Clinton Foundation set up a $2 million commitment in September 2010 that benefited Energy Pioneer Solutions Inc., according to the Journal. Energy Pioneer Solutions helps insulate homes to make them more energy-efficient and reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Julie Tauber McMahon, a close friend of former President Bill Clinton, owns a 29% stake in the company. Democratic National Committee treasurer Andrew Tobias and Democratic operative Mark Wiener each own 5%, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"President Clinton has established many friendships and professional connections throughout his career in public service. It is not surprising that many of the same people who have worked with him to make a difference and improve the world would continue their (work) through CGI," Minassian, the foundation's spokesman, said in a statement to CNN...

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/05/13/politics/clinton-foundation-response-wall-street-journal-article/index.html

Did The Clinton Foundation Give $2 Million To Bill's "Energizer" Mistress?

At Bill Clinton's behest, a $2 million commitment for Energy Pioneer Solutions was placed on the agenda during a September 2010 conference of the Clinton Global Initiative. As it turns out, the commitment is a bit of an issue...

At the heart of the issue is the foundation sent funding to a company that had significant ties to the Clinton family according to the WSJ. The IRS website states that any 501(c)(3) should not be operated for the benefit of private interests.



The WSJ explains the connections

Energy Pioneer Solutions was founded in 2009 by Scott Kleeb, a Democrat who twice ran for Congress from Nebraska. An internal document from that year showed it as owned 29% by Mr. Kleeb; 29% by Jane Eckert, the owner of an art gallery in Pine Plains, N.Y.; and 29% by Julie Tauber McMahon of Chappaqua, N.Y., a close friend of Mr. Clinton, who also lives in Chappaqua.

Owning 5% each were Democratic National Committee treasurer Andrew Tobias and Mark Weiner, a supplier to political campaigns and former Rhode Island Democratic chairman, both longtime friends of the Clintons.

The Clinton Global Initiative holds an annual conference at which it announces monetary commitments from corporations, individuals or nonprofit organizations to address global challenges—commitments on which it has acted in a matchmaking role. Typically, the commitments go to charities and nongovernmental organizations. The commitment to Energy Pioneer Solutions was atypical because it originated from a private individual who was making a personal financial investment in a for-profit company.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-05-13/did-clinton-foundation-give-2-million-bills-energizer-mistress