Examples of Character

The following raises questions as to the character of Mrs. Clinton. While some of the following may not be proof positive of wrong doing, the cumulative story should be considered.

As of August, 2000, the Clintons have raised over 8 million dollars for their Legal Defence Fund, accepting donations up to $10,000 per person. Under normal circumstances, this money would be subject to income taxes, but for some reason none have been collected.

There also is a question as to whether these donations are made to influence or jeopardizes the independence of the presidency or potentially, soon to be Senator. It is also unusual for people to give large sums of money to otherwise affluent people (earning 6 figures with a 1.35 million dollar house). Wouldn’t this money be better spend on charity?

Hillary Rodham Clinton campaign trips to New York aboard government aircraft have cost taxpayers more than $1 million, according to White House records. The first lady took 93 such trips from June 1999 through August 2000 at an estimated cost of $1.22 million. Her campaign reimbursed $184,995, or 15 percent of the total. Many campaign supporters and contributors also got a free ride. (AP - September 19, 2000)

While this may not illegal, it is questionable. Should we expect our politicians to act justly and honestly, or just within legal bounds? Is it right and compassionate to have people, many of which are much poorer than Hillary, pay for her travel?

Numerous charges have been made about the Secret Service being used to keep reporters away from Hillary during public campaign stops. Fred Dicker, New York Post Albany bureau chief has said, "she'll show up at a local event and you'll go up to her like you would any candidate, and say, "Mrs. Clinton, can I ask you. ..." and she runs off and the Secret Service blocks us. She's done that time after time after time. You can't get to her. She's using the resources of the federal government to prevent us from just having the kind of access you would take for granted with any other politician."

During a 1996 fund-raising swing through Arizona, local reporters complained that Secret Service was interfering with press coverage that posed no physical risk to the first lady. "Reporters at the Monday afternoon speech were kept at arm's length from the first lady by Secret Service agents, who warned the press not to yell out questions," reported the Arizona Republic at the time.

Last March, at least one reporter accused Mrs. Clinton's bodyguards of physically attacking journalists as they tried to cover her march in New York's St. Patrick's Day parade. "Secret Service agents literally are pushing press to the ground," said Metro Network newsman Glenn Schuck. "They just lost their minds, in my opinion. I mean they just started pushing and shoving; female camera people five feet tall were getting thrown to the ground, cameras flying. Myself, I was grabbed by the shoulder, I was thrown back over. I think somebody from Channel 11 landed on my back. From that point it really didn't get any better."

As of October 1999, Mrs. Clinton will have visited 74 countries, during 25 solo trips abroad since her husband took office in 1993, at an estimated cost of more than 100 million dollars to U.S. taxpayers.

The first lady personally invited SIMON & SCHUSTER executives to an official State Dinner honoring Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Hillary's SIMON & SCHUSTER editor Sydny Minor was given a seat at the official dinner in September 2000, along with S&S president and publisher Carolyn Reidy. Both brought dates to the dinner and dined on feast of wild Copper River salmon with red kuri squash and rice bean ragout for a main course. The dessert menu included mango and banner lotus, litchis and raspberry sauce, honey almond squares and chocolate coconut bars. Each setting at the Indian dinner was estimated to cost taxpayers $325. An $8 million book deal awarded three months later.

Questionable campaign donations:

- $40,000 in donations from Bernard Schwartz, the chairman of Loral, and his wife. Loral is under Justice Department investigation for allegedly providing China with information that could help make its nuclear missiles more reliable.

- An analysis of campaign reports by the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics showed that 56 percent - or $3.4 million - of Clinton's $8.1 million campaign warchest has come from outside the state. (as of February, 2000)

- On October 27, 1999, President Bill Clinton met with the president of the European Commission, asking him to permit the landing of airplanes equipped with noise reduction technology made by American companies. The EC had said that the so-called hush kits did not sufficiently reduce airplane noise and wanted to severely restrict them. Just before Clinton's intervention, an officer of a large hush-kit manufacturer, ABS Partnership Inc., and a business partner wrote checks totaling $160,000 to a campaign fund intended for Hillary Rodham Clinton. At the time, that was the largest contribution the campaign had received. The partners also gave an additional $301,000 to the Democratic National Committee in 1999. (USNews January, 2000)

- Contributors Sandra Wagenfeld and Francine Goldstein raised $400,000 for the Democrats at a $10,000-a-plate affair during the summer of 1999, and were subsequently guests at the June state dinner in honor of Hungarian President Arpad Goncz. (USNews January, 2000)

- Metabolife International, the manufacturer of a controversial herbal weight-loss supplement that has been trying to fend off regulation by the Food and Drug Administration since its product was reportedly linked to adverse reactions, including death. It gave $25,000 in soft money to Mrs. Clinton's campaign. (USNews January, 2000)

- More than 100 of the 646 guests to the last state dinner in honor of Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee donated money to Hillary’s senate campaign or several soft money funds set up to benefit her. "We are not long time friends," says Laura Sillerman who donated $20,000 to the NY Senate 2000 fund, a soft money fund that supports Hillary’s campaign. Her husband also gave the Clinton campaign $1,000. "If you are deducing a lot of people were invited because of their support, that’s probably why we were," says Laura Sillerman.

Like the Sillermans, all but one of the big-dollar donors have NY connections. (Newsweek, September 2000)

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