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Bill Clinton Paid $500,000 for Moscow Speech |
| By
Stephen Lendman |
| Bill and Hillary amassed enormous wealth from highly paid speeches, lucrative
book deals, and other sources - cashing in big on their prominence. They became super-rich from selling influence, their net worth estimated at up to $200 million, mostly stashed in tax havens. Clinton, Inc. best describes them, their lust for power and greed undiminished. Only in banana republics, despotic monarchies and America do corrupt families rule. In speeches to Wall Street firms alone, including Goldman Sachs, Hillary earned fees as high as half a million dollars or more at times, always at least six-figure remuneration - her hosts expecting to cash in from political favors serving their interests. The Clinton Foundation is a money-laundering racket masquerading as a charitable NGO - no accountability for RICO-level criminality expected. Anyone paying the Clintons, and others like them, enormous fees for speeches and public appearances expects plenty in return and gets it - the way dirty politics in America works. Former presidents and other high-level US officials have monetary value in and after leaving office, their party and other connections remaining. Last week, White House deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders, said “(i)f you want to talk about having relationships with Russia, I’d look no further than the Clintons.” “Bill Clinton was paid half a million dollars to give a speech to a Russian bank, personally thanked by President Putin.” In 2010, Russian bank Renaissance Capital paid the former president that enormous sum for a Moscow speech. Nice work if you can get it. At the time, as secretary of state, Hillary opposed imposition of sanctions on Moscow. She suppressed media reports about husband Bill’s highly-paid speech. According to WikiLeaks, Hillary for America rapid response communications team member Jesse Lehrich said (in May 2015) “(w)ith the help of the research team, we killed a Bloomberg story trying to link HRC’s opposition to the Magnitsky bill to a $500,000 speech that WJC gave in Moscow.” Sergei Magnitsky was a Russian attorney. In 2009, he died in police custody. His death drew international media attention. He specialized in civil law, doing anti-corruption work. He uncovered evidence of tax fraud, implicating police, judiciary figures, tax officials, bankers, and Russia’s mafia - accusing them of stealing around $230 million dollars in 2007 through fraudulent tax refunds. On issues relating to courts, taxes, fines, and civil law, he was called the “go to guy” in Moscow. In November 2008, he was arrested, imprisoned, and treated abusively. For 11 months, he was denied family visits. Serious health problems developed. Inadequate treatment followed. On November 16, 2009, he died for reasons officially attributed to a “rupture to the abdominal membrane” and subsequent heart attack. Initially his death was blamed on medical neglect. Later claims suggested murder. The 2012 Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act imposed visa bans, asset freezes, and other sanctions on Russian nationals accused of committing human rights abuses. Putin called the measure an unfriendly act towards Russia. The nation’s Foreign Ministry called it “shortsighted and dangerous,” a “cynical” attempt to sour bilateral relations. The Russian bank paying Bill Clinton for his Moscow speech was allegedly connected to what led to the Magnitsky Act, a huge embarrassment for Bill and Hillary to be publicly revealed. Especially given spurious media accusations surrounding Trump Jr.’s meeting with Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya and US citizen/lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin, long ago serving in a counter-intelligence capacity in Soviet Russia’s military - both unconnected to the Kremlin. America operates by the do what we say, not what we do principle. The hypocritical double standard is deplorable. The Clinton crime family goes unpunished. Russia is irresponsibly blamed for things it had nothing to do with - gratuitous bashing for its sovereign independence and opposition to US imperial aggression. VISIT MY NEW WEB SITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. My newest book as editor and contributor is titled "Flashpoint in Ukraine: How the US Drive for Hegemony Risks WW III." http://www.claritypress.com/LendmanIII.html Listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network. |