Did Bill Clinton’s Foundation Steer $2 Million To A Company Owned By The Blonde ‘Energizer’?
Did the tax-exempt Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) try to funnel $2 million to a clean energy company that may or may not be co-owned by a friend of Bill rumored to be the “Energizer”?
In a 2015 book by Ronald Kessler about the Secret Service, the author claimed that when wife Hillary Clinton wasn’t around, a blonde neighbor that the agents codenamed “Energizer” spent a lot of quality time with former President Bill Clinton at the Clintons’ suburban New York City home in Chappaqua.
“Bill Clinton’s foundation arranged a $2 million pledge to a power company partly owned by a wealthy blond divorcée — who some say is the frequent visitor to his home nicknamed ‘Energizer.’ The ‘commitment’ to Julie Tauber McMahon’s firm from the Clinton Global Initiative was placed on its 2010 conference agenda at Clinton’s urging,” the New York Post explained about this latest allegation.
“McMahon has denied having an affair with the former president,” the Post separtely reported.
According to the Wall Street Journal, which broke the story, the $2 million commitment to the for-profit Energy Pioneer Solutions is unusual.
“Under federal law, tax-exempt charitable organizations aren’t supposed to act in anyone’s private interest but instead in the public interest, on broad issues such as education or poverty.”
Both Bill Clinton and CGI have denied any wrongdoing in the funding mechanism.
Bill Clinton also allegedly played a role in a $800,000 federal government grant to Energy Pioneer Solutions.
CGI is an arm of the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation, a high-profile international charity which Clinton foes have alleged served as a pay-for-play, money laundering operation, to which foreign governments and multinational corporations made large donations in exchange for favorable treatment by the U.S. State Department under Hillary Clinton, currently the Democrat presidential front-runner.
The FBI is supposedly investigating the Clinton Foundation as part of the ongoing probe of Hillary Clinton’s private server/private email use while she was a government official.
Today's cover: Bill Clinton's charity gave $2 million to a company owned by his "friend" https://t.co/uxrjWmAdbW pic.twitter.com/6S43p8avrp
— New York Post (@nypost) May 13, 2016
The power company in question is owned by several well-connected Democrats, the WSJ detailed.
“Energy Pioneer Solutions was founded in 2009 by Scott Kleeb, a Democrat who twice ran for Congress from Nebraska. An internal document from that year showed it as owned 29% by Mr. Kleeb; 29% by Jane Eckert, the owner of an art gallery in Pine Plains, N.Y.; and 29% by Julie Tauber McMahon of Chappaqua, N.Y., a close friend of Mr. Clinton, who also lives in Chappaqua. Owning 5% each were Democratic National Committee treasurer Andrew Tobias and Mark Weiner, a supplier to political campaigns and former Rhode Island Democratic chairman, both longtime friends of the Clintons.”
McMahon is reportedly the daughter of Joel Tauber, a wealthy donor to the Democrats.
"This is a company serving products and services, not a charitable purpose. It raises a lot of a lot red flags" https://t.co/EusOQ6Fqvg
— New York Post (@nypost) May 14, 2016
A Clinton Global Initiative spokesperson insisted to CNN that the whole eyebrow-raising scenario was legit.
“President Clinton has established many friendships and professional connections throughout his career in public service. It is not surprising that many of the same people who have worked with him to make a difference and improve the world would continue their (work) through CGI.”
“Many for-profit companies are addressing climate change through CGI and helping reduce dependency on fossil fuels,” the spokesperson added.
The company’s website indicates that “Energy Pioneer’s mission is to build a sustainable energy model that provides streamlined, turn-key solutions for both energy providers and American homeowners alike.”
Apparently the company ultimately received $500,000 from a CGI member, and the pending matter allegedly was concealed from the CGI agenda, according to the WSJ expose.
“The commitment was entered into a database on the Clinton Global Initiative website. A few months later, it was removed. The reason was to avoid calling attention to Mr. Clinton’s friendship with one company co-owner, Ms. McMahon, and to protect the integrity of Mr. Clinton and the Clinton Global Initiative, according to people familiar with the matter.”
Do you think that it is merely unsubstantiated speculation that a link might have existed between the so-called “Energizer” and the energy company and the $2 million pledge from Bill Clinton’s charitable foundation?
[Photo by Don Ryan/AP]
