Clintons to close controversial charity
UNITED STATES: A charity founded by Hillary and Bill Clinton to gather together the world’s wealthiest and most glamorous philanthropists will close next month, after a slump in donations and allegations of misconduct.
Founded in 2005, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) was the public face of the family’s sprawling US$2 billion charity, the Clinton Foundation. At its annual conclaves, it corralled the rich, powerful and famous in the name of doing good.
Aiming to rival the influence of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, the CGI described itself as ‘‘the networking event of choice for corporations, non-profits, non-governmental organisations and wealthy philanthropists’’.
The first meeting was held in 2005 in New York to coincide with the United Nations general assembly. The attendees included Bono, Mick Jagger, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, as well as Carlos Slim, one of the world’s wealthiest men.
Next month the CGI will cease operating, shut its offices in New York and put two dozen staff out of work. The Clinton Foundation will remain, as will lingering questions over whether Hillary Clinton’s involvement in the charity contributed to her presidential election defeat.
Donations to the Clinton Foundation fell nearly 40 per cent last year to US$108 million, tax filings show.
In August, Donald Trump called for a special prosecutor to investigate the foundation after emails revealed how donors frequently sought favours from the US State Department when Hillary Clinton was US secretary of state. Leaks from inside the FBI suggested that agents were angered when they were directed by the Justice Department not to pursue investigations into alleged corruption at the foundation.
The Australian government has ceased its contributions to the foundation, while Norway has sharply reduced the sums that it donated.
In November Jason Chaffetz, the Republican chairman of the House oversight committee, said he would push for an investigation into the foundation. - The Times