Empire and Overshoot – Page 17 – Vermont Independent

Publisher’s Note: As we move closer to the 2016 Presidential “election,” more and more Vermonters are asking hard questions about the Clinton Foundation in the wake of the release of the AP Press’ recent investigative report indicating some disturbing realities about Hillary Clinton’s continued line-blurring between her role as a public servant and her role as a private philanthropist for the $2 billion foundation. Many neoliberal corporate commercial news outlets and HRC supporters are quick to delegitimate, even dismiss, critiques of the Clinton Foundation as unfounded attacks by radical right wing elements, as Glenn Greenwald documents in The Intercept this week. The truth? Investigative journalists from across the political spectrum, including respected left-leaning journalists like International Business Times’ David Sirota, Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman, and The Intercept’s Glenn Greenwald, have also raised hard questions about HRC and the CF generally. Most recently, Fairness And Accuracy In Reporting has connected the dots between Big Media corporations, their donations to the Clinton Foundation, and their (non)coverage of legitimate questions regarding said conflicts of interest – it makes for eye-opening reading.

Here, Stephen Lendman summarizes Wall Street analyst-turned-whistleblower Charles Ortel’s concerns about the Clinton Foundation. Add this to the concerns about conflict-of-interest between HRC and the CF re: arms exports, donor access, business dealings, and the promotion of corporate donors while HRC was serving as Secretary of State, and you gotta wonder. Where there is smoke, there is usually fire. The Clinton Foundation is a fantastic $2 billion example of the conflation of public interest and private enrichment in the Age of U.S. Empire, and no one does this better than the Clintons. Free Vermont, and long live the UNtied States!

I’ve written numerous times about the Clinton Foundation money-laundering, pay-to-play, self-enrichment racket masquerading as a charitable NGO.

Wall Street analyst, whistleblower, financial advisor Charles Ortel investigated Clinton Foundation shenanigans for months, saying information it releases publicly in “legally mandated filings do not add up, are frequently incorrect, and appear to be misleading.”

Based on his extensive investigative work, he calls the foundation “a rogue charity” operating fraudulently – “neither…organized nor operating lawfully from inception in October 1997 to date…”

“(I)t is a case study in international charity fraud of mammoth proportions” – with no independent trustees or independent financial auditing.

Ortel’s analysis shows the foundation from inception “was neither organized nor operated lawfully…beyond (a) reasonable doubt,” he stresses, the Clintons “exhibit(ing) gross negligence and reckless disregard in performance of their solemn duties.”

Federal, state and international laws prohibit operating so-called public charities for private gain. The Clinton Foundation systematically ignores its legal obligations.

“Overall I consider the (foundation) to be a charity fraud network,” Ortel explained. “I base this conclusion on my review of extensive data about its operations…”

“(D)irected by certain individuals and together with numerous affiliates,” the foundation’s “entire cumulative scale (counting inflows and outflows) approaches and may even exceed $100 billion,” from its 1997 inception during Bill’s second term as president to currently.

Ortel said he’ll continue releasing “new, in-depth detailed reports” on what he uncovers ahead. Plenty of incriminating evidence already exists to indict Bill, Hillary, Chelsea and their co-conspirators for criminal fraud under the RICO statute.

Each racketeering count is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment if found guilty, along with forfeiture of ill-gotten gains, possible fines up to twice the amount of illegal profits, and seizure of assets gotten by racketeering.

The Clintons would also be vulnerable to civil suits by anyone harmed by their actions. RICO prosecutions are extremely serious, largely used against organized crime.

Clintons-style white collar criminality is much the same. Yet Obama’s Justice Department refuses to act responsibly for obvious reasons.

Bill and Hillary freely commit wrongdoing unaccountably. A likely third Clinton crime family co-presidency means elevating known felons to the nation’s highest office.

Stephen Lendman is an independent columnist, author and political observer based in Chicago, Illinois.

September 9, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at September 9, 2016

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The Clinton Foundation – A Rogue “Charity” Fraud Network?

Publisher’s Note: As we move closer to the 2016 Presidential “election,” more and more Vermonters are asking hard questions about the Clinton Foundation in the wake […]

September 7, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at September 7, 2016

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The Vermont Case for Ticket Splitting: Democrats versus Independents in November 2016

Vermont state politics are focused primarily on three major issues: climate change, education and healthcare. We are glad to live in a place where there is […]

September 6, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at September 6, 2016

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9/11: 15th Anniversary NYC Conference

Publisher’s Note: Ten Septembers ago, Vermont Commons: Voices of Independence devoted an entire issue of our news journal to exploring the unanswered questions surrounding 9/11 (available […]

August 31, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at August 31, 2016

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NewGrassRoots: “Small D” Digital Democracy Now Planted in Vermont

Publisher’s Note: Benjamin Brown, Vermont’trepeneur and founder of Rutland-based NewGrassRoots, has a compelling vision for harnessing digital technology. Namely, to make our local and state/republican […]

August 29, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at August 29, 2016

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VERMONT’S BERNIE SANDERS TAKES POLITICAL HIGH GROUND? NOPE, JUST BEACH SAND.

Publisher’s Note: Thanks to VTDigger.org for continuing to ask important questions about 2016 presidential candidate and “Our Revolution” 501c4 founder Bernie Sanders. Here is political columnist […]

August 28, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at August 28, 2016

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Noam Chomsky: How the U.S. of Empire Under Obama Has Ushered in ‘a New Era of International Terrorism’

The following is a recent interview with Noam Chomsky on the Middle East and the Obama Administration’s policies towards Syria, Egypt and Iran, and the rise […]

August 26, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at August 26, 2016

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A “Brexit” Strategy for the UNtied States? Nonviolent Secession, and Vermont Can Lead the Way…

Publisher’s note: We publish decentralist viewpoints from across the political spectrum. We don’t agree with everything Mr. Dunkin states here – climate change/global warming is actually […]

August 22, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at August 22, 2016

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The Thought Revolution: Beyond Pavlovian Thinking and “Conspiracy Theories”

Publisher’s Note: We are pleased to welcome Vermonter Chris Pratt, the “Reluctant Activist,” to our masthead. Look for regular features by the Reluctant Activist in the […]

August 21, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at August 21, 2016

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“#Texit” Update: 3 of 5 Trump-Friendly “Lone Star” Republicans Call For Secession (TIME Poll)

As we in the 2nd Vermont Republic like to joke, Texans are secessionists for all the wrong reasons. However! Here’s the majority opinion “money shot” from […]

August 21, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at August 21, 2016

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#FeelTheBern(?!): Did Vermont’s Bernie Sanders Actually Win The 2016 Democratic Primary?

And why have we not heard a PEEP from the Sanders campaign, given ElectionJusticeUSA’s new 100 page report compiling evidence of massive election fraud during the 2016 […]

August 21, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at August 21, 2016

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“Neoliberalism” Imploding: What Comes Next, Other Than Trump’ism?

Publisher’s Note: Our answer. Decentralism and the Commons. Read the whole article from the always-insightful Martin Jacques at The Guardian newspaper. Here’s a slice: A Trump America […]

August 18, 2016

Published by 2ndvtrepublic at August 18, 2016

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Broadway’s “Hamilton” Whitewash: Orwellian Theater for the Neoliberal Age

Publisher’s note: Thanks to Paul Street for this brilliant critique of “Hamilton: The Musical,” which swept the 2016 Tony Awards with its clever and creative (if historically […]