In a preview of an interview set to air Wednesday night, CNN’s Anderson Cooper asked presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton if her husband former President Bill Clinton would step down as head of the Clinton Foundation if she is elected president.
Clinton touted the Clinton Foundation’s work, but dodged on two occasions on whether or not Bill Clinton would step aside.
Partial transcript as follows:
COOPER: Trump has said he is clearly going to focus on the Clinton Foundation. Last night said and I quote, the Russians, Saudis, Chinese all gave money to the foundation and got favorable treatment in return. The foundation has raised huge sums of money for worthy causes. It hasn’t always been transparent. Tens of thousands from a Canadian partnership with donor that was secret, another from Algeria not submitted to State Department for approval. Will your husband divest himself of any association with the foundation?
CLINTON: Well, Anderson, we’ll cross that bridge if and when we come to it. Let me try to set the record straight. We had absolutely overwhelming disclosure. Were there one or two instances that slipped through the cracks? Yes. But was the overwhelming amount of anything that anybody gave the foundation disclosed, absolutely. I’m proud of the foundation and the work it has done. Nine million people have lower cost HIV-AIDS medicine because of the work of the Clinton Foundation and my husband. We have women across the country from Latin America and Africa, across the world getting good jobs, being able to support themselves for the first time.
Here in our country, we have better food and nutrition helping young kids in America be healthier and not fight obesity. We have so much that we are proud of. I will put that up against any of the innuendo and accusation coming from Donald Trump because the work that has been done has garnered accolades and appreciation from every corner of the world because it has been so far-sighted, visionary, and effective.
COOPER: But some big donors clearly want the association with you or your husband that they linked to the foundation, obviously you and your husband not to appear have you considered the idea of compromised. So I guess, have you considered the idea of him stepping down?
CLINTON: Again, you know I am not going to consider anything until we see what the circumstances are, but let me just point out that people give lots of money to presidential campaigns, don’t they? They give lots of money to political parties as well. So, you know, that’s money that goes directly to support political activities of candidates. Money that has been given to the foundation goes to support humanitarian work and if people want to influence anybody in office, I think they would choose the political route and indeed the work of the foundation speaks for itself.
Follow Jeff Poor on Twitter @jeff_poor
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