WH Finally Responds to Dogged Reporter ‘No Proof, No Evidence to Indicate’ Clinton Donations Influenced Policy

Barbara Boland | April 24, 2015
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“Conservative authors” write books with “what they purport to be serious allegations” that “are not rooted or accompanied by any evidence,” said White House spokesperson Josh Earnest today in response to a persistent ABC News reporter Jon Karl. “Right now, that’s what’s happening to Secretary Clinton…”

Karl pushed the White House to respond for days to the serious accusations made in Schweizer’s Clinton Cash book and reported on by the New York Times that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accepted donations from a Russian energy company and allowed the sale of 20% of U.S. uranium stores.

“We now know that there were some $2 million in donations that came essentially from Uranium One to the Clinton Foundation that were not disclosed at the time,” Karl said in today’s press briefing. “Can you acknowledge that at least that did not meet up to the standards that were expected based on the memorandum of understanding between Hillary Clinton and the president?”

Earnest referred Karl to Clinton’s spokesperson for the second day in a row.

Karl: “Even aside from [the State Department's] approval of [Uranium One's] transaction, the fact that you had such a large donation – group of donations – coming in that were not disclosed; that doesn’t concern the White House at all? That lived up to the standards that were set, forget Hillary Clinton, but by the president?”

“I think what is clear… is that there is no proof whatsoever,no evidence to indicate, that those donations had any influence on this particular policy,” answered a nervous-sounding Earnest.

There’s no proof, of course, because Hillary Clinton’s hard drives have vanished forever, as many have pointed out.

“I’m not asking about the fact that the donations weren’t publicly disclosed… you didn’t know about them!” said Earnest

Earnest replied: “I have been in the position where, to put it mildly, other conservative authors have launched written books based on what they purport to be serious allegations against the president of the United States. And I’m often in the position of responding to those incidents and trying to defend the president from accusations that are not rooted or accompanied by any evidence. My point is that right now that’s what’s happening to Secretary Clinton. And there’s a spokesperson that Secretary Clinton hired who can answer these questions.”

“I’m not asking whether or not Secretary Clinton sold favors from the State Department, I’m asking whether or not these donations should have been disclosed; I’m asking about disclosure…I’m not suggesting you…”

“And that is something Secretary Clinton’s team can talk to you about… is how they handled this particular incident,” said Earnest.

Karl's exchange with Earnest yesterday:

 

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