Financial learnings of Clinton for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Clinton
This week the New York Times published an eye-opening article by Jo Becker and Don Van Natta on Bill Clinton's deal-making prowess, fundraising wizardry, and related mendacity. The story involves the rights to the uranium mining concession in Kazakhstan, won by Canadian mining financier Frank Giustra with an assist from Bill Clinton.
After the deal became final, Giustra contributed $31.3 million to Clinton's charitable foundation. Giustra has added another $100 million in his largesse to the Clinton foundation. The Times found the parties engaged in the recognizable modus operandi in several respects, as for example this:
Mr. Giustra was invited to accompany the former president to Almaty just as the financier was trying to seal a deal he had been negotiating for months.And this:In separate written responses, both men said Mr. Giustra traveled with Mr. Clinton to Kazakhstan, India and China to see first-hand the philanthropic work done by his foundation.
A spokesman for Mr. Clinton said the former president knew that Mr. Giustra had mining interests in Kazakhstan but was unaware of “any particular efforts” and did nothing to help. Mr. Giustra said he was there as an “observer only” and there was “no discussion” of the deal with Mr. Nazarbayev or Mr. Clinton.
But Moukhtar Dzhakishev, president of Kazatomprom, said in an interview that Mr. Giustra did discuss it, directly with the Kazakh president, and that his friendship with Mr. Clinton “of course made an impression.” Mr. Dzhakishev added that Kazatomprom chose to form a partnership with Mr. Giustra’s company based solely on the merits of its offer.
After The Times told Mr. Giustra that others said he had discussed the deal with Mr. Nazarbayev, Mr. Giustra responded that he “may well have mentioned my general interest in the Kazakhstan mining business to him, but I did not discuss the ongoing” efforts.
Both Mr. Clinton and Mr. Giustra at first denied that any such meeting occurred. Mr. Giustra also denied ever arranging for Kazakh officials to meet with Mr. Clinton. Wednesday, after The Times told them that others said a meeting, in Mr. Clinton’s home, had in fact taken place, both men acknowledged it.There is much more, all worthy of comment. Investor's Business Daily rises to the occasion in the editorial "Clinton's filthy lucre."
Where, incidentally, is Borat when you really need him?
