Clinton Global Initiative Folds, Announces The Termination Of 22 More Employees
The Clinton Global Initiative, which is an initiative of the Clinton Foundation, is expected to cease operations on April 15 — according to a noticed filed with the New York State Department of Labor. The notice, which is dated January 12, also announced the termination of 22 employees within The Clinton Global Initiative. According to reports, the Initiative began faltering amid accusations of impropriety.
Established in 2005, and founded by former President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative’s mission “is to turn ideas into action.”
According to the Initiative’s website, “CGI facilitates action by helping members connect, collaborate, and make effective and measurable Commitments to Action.”
Participants in the Clinton Global Initiative include academics, prominent CEOs, members of media organizations, Nobel Prize laureates, world leaders, and others who are dedicated to “creating positive action around the world.”
The Initiative does not provide funding for its Commitments to Action. Instead, CGI initiates dialogues and provide networking to achieve its goals.
Why did the Clinton Global Initiative shut down after the election? It’s not like the world ran out of good causes. https://t.co/CnwrAjt8Bl pic.twitter.com/9ei5gq1rFY
— jimgeraghty (@jimgeraghty) January 16, 2017
To date, the Clinton Global Initiative has implemented more than 3,600 Commitments to Action, including Bridging the Communications Gap in the Lake Tanganyika Basin and Health Justice for People with Intellectual Disabilities.
Indeed, the Initiative has demonstrated a strong commitment to “turn ideas into action.” However, critics argue that Hillary Clinton’s ongoing involvement in the foundation created a conflict of interest while she headed the State Department.
In 2009, Hillary Clinton pledged to cease her involvement with the business side of the Clinton Foundation. However, leaked e-mails suggest the foundation’s donors may have been unduly “rewarded” for their generosity.
As reported by New York Times, Hillary Clinton is accused of using her position with the State Department to arrange favors for individuals and organizations who made donations to the Clinton Foundation’s Global Initiative.
In one instance, a Clinton Foundation executive reportedly arranged for “billionaire donor” to meet with the United States ambassador to Lebanon.
No more power, no more money. Slush fund “charity” Clinton Global Initiative laying off employees https://t.co/pw3nJrJL7A pic.twitter.com/XrIvZ1GFAt
— DonaldTrumpNews (@NewssTrump) January 15, 2017
Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton said Hillary Clinton attempted to cloak the impropriety by “hiding” incriminating e-mails. When the documents were made public, Fitton said they conclusively prove “the State Department and the Clinton Foundation worked hand in hand in terms of policy and donor effort,” despite Hillary’s 2009 pledge to cease involvement with the Clinton Foundation.
Amid the accusations, the Clinton Global Initiative reportedly lost tens-of-millions of dollars in donations.
In an interview with The Washington Times, Manhattan Republican Party Vice-President Brian Morgenstern noted that the donations waned significantly when Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 presidential election.
In his opinion, the Clinton Global Initiative donors clearly expected Clinton to use her influence as President of the United States to “reward” them for their donations. As she did not win the election, Morgenstern suggests the donors lost their motivation.
Although the Initiative appeared to falter amid the outcome of the presidential election, plans to halt the Initiative were originally announced by former President Bill Clinton in August.
At the time, it was assumed that the Initiative would be dissolved to avoid a conflict of interest if Hillary Clinton won the elections. Despite the fact that she did not win, the Foundation moved forward with their plans.
In October, the Clinton Global Initiative filed an initial WARN notice — which stated a total of 74 CGI employees would be laid off. Three months later, another WARN notice was filed, stating that 22 more employees would be terminated amid the discontinuation of the Clinton Global Initiative.
Although the Initiative is credited with “having made more than 3,600 commitments. which… improved the lives of over 435 million people in more than 180 countries,” the reported connection between the Clinton Global Initiative and the State Department may have ultimately destroyed the CGI.
[Featured Image by Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock]
