In August 2013, the NY Times reported that lawyers from Simpson Thacher & Bartlett had interviewed Clinton Foundation executives and former employees over a two-week period, interviews which “had led the lawyers to some unsettling conclusions.” According to the article, concerns included the foundation’s relationship with a consulting firm founded by a one-time personal assistant to Bill Clinton and for which Mr. Clinton had worked as a paid advisor, its aggressive fundraising and lack of financial stability, and tensions between old political hands and professional staff. It was also a time of transition for the Foundation, particularly with Chelsea Clinton emerging as a leader (and now a defender of it). And of course all of these developments occurred with an increasing anticipation of Mrs. Clinton’s expected 2016 presidential bid.
Additional Coverage: Clinton Family Foundation Raises Big Money and Big Questions (Washington Post/AP); If Clinton Is Elected, Family Foundation Could Face Changes (Washington Post/AP); previous stories.
Lloyd Mayer
