The U.S. State Department had concerns about Saudi Arabia's connections to the Clinton Foundation, or perhaps Bill or Hillary Clinton, as far back as 2011, according to a new report from government watchdog Judicial Watch.
The organization reported on its ongoing efforts to obtain information from the State Department about Hillary Clinton's "possible conflicts of interest regarding her position as secretary of state."
The update comes amid a burgeoning scandal about the Clinton Foundation, who ran it, who benefited from it, who got favors, and who paid what to whom.
The heart of the matter is whether, as critics have suggested, there are links between the foundation and the Clintons' own incomes and how U.S. government policy treated foreign interests while she was secretary of state.
The scandals have reached such a point that the left-leaning Common Cause is calling for an independent audit.
Spokesman Miles Rapoport said, "Six years ago, at Mrs. Clinton's confirmation hearing for her appointment as secretary of state, then-Sen. Dick Lugar observed that 'that foreign governments and entities may perceive the Clinton Foundation as a means to gain favor with the secretary of state.' He was right, and his remarks remain relevant today as Mrs. Clinton seeks the presidency."
Judicial Watch has been pursuing government records on Hillary Clinton for years, and noted that previously released documents raised questions about funds Clinton accepted from entities linked to Saudi Arabia, China and Iran, among others.
"The latest group of documents shows that State Department officials had concerns in January 2011 about Bill Clinton's activities related to Saudi Arabia. An email chain, begun on January 25, 2011, includes several members of the State Department's Legal Advisor Office, and the subject line 'Clinton Foundation Request – Saudi entities,'" the report said.
However, the three pages were almost entirely redacted. Even some of the "subject" lines were blanked out.
One, from Violanda Botet to James H. Thessin finished with "Let me know if you need more. Violanda."
But the rest of the page was blank.
Judicial Watch reported previous documents uncovered through this lawsuit showed that Bill Clinton worked with Tanmiah Commercial Group, a Saudi group based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which paid Clinton $300,000.
The report said, "The Clinton Foundation told the State Department he would participate in the 2011 Global Competiveness Forum, a five-day event in Riyadh. The event was co-sponsored by the Dabbagh Group Holding Co., which 'comprises 28 autonomous companies, operating in diversified businesses in 30 countries. Mohammed Husnee Jazeel currently serves as Dabbagh Group's CFO.'"
Also in the documents is a discussion of a Clinton Foundation request regarding an undisclosed country in Asia in August 2010: "Spoke to Jim [James H Thessin], on this and he plans to speak to the EAP [East Asian & Pacific Affairs] PDAS [Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary] and get his views."
And Judicial Watch reported, "A June 2010 message chain addressed to then-Deputy Chief of Mission in Tanzania Larry E. Andre and others is labeled 'URGENT RE: Clinton Foundation Issue,' and states: 'Former POTUS Clinton is on the ground in Tanzania… we need guidance fairly urgently to still be relevant.'"
"Dozens of State Department attorneys' emails are heavily redacted and neglect to include the records Judicial Watch specifically sought in its FOIA request, such as Mrs. Clinton 'SF 50s,' the standard form the government uses any time an employee changes jobs, or has an increase in step, grade or pay," Judicial Watch said.
The report said the State Department also had forwarded to the Clinton Foundation additional documents, for review, before it would make a decision about release.
"The State Department allowed Hillary Clinton to remove and destroy government email records. And now we've figured out the State Department is improperly giving government documents to the Clinton operation – documents that should have been turned over to us years ago," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "Our lawsuit, which first exposed the Clinton foreign fundraising racket at the State Department, continues to be obstructed by Mrs. Clinton's political operation. With these revelations of State Department concerns about the Clinton machine's Saudi and Asian dealings, this simple FOIA lawsuit is providing the road map for those tracking Hillary Clinton's abuse of office as secretary of state. In the meantime, the State Department seems to be more concerned about helping Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign than following federal disclosure law."
In other developments regarding Hillary Clinton's campaign for president, the New York Post reported Bill Clinton took free jet trips to South America from wealthy Canadian mining interests to give speeches
Key in that issue are reports the mining magnate, Frank Giustra, may have influenced State Department decisions "like a Colombia free trade deal and its role in a Russian energy outfit's purchase of an American uranium company."
The report said Giustra had a financial interest in both deals.
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