From AFP
Former US president Bill Clinton said in an interview on Monday he will keep giving lucrative speeches “to pay our bills” while wife Hillary Clinton runs for the White House.
Defending his charity work on a trip to Africa, Clinton said Hillary told him no foreign official has sought to influence her through donations to the family’s foundation, which has come under fire for accepting millions of dollars from foreign governments.
Bill Clinton told NBC News he would step down from running the foundation “if it’s the right thing to do.” But he insisted he would maintain a schedule of speaking events – several of which reportedly paid him $500 000 a pop in recent years – despite amassing a fortune in the 14 years since leaving the White House.
“Oh, yeah. I’ve got to pay our bills,” Clinton said when asked if he would carry on with paid speaking engagements.
Clinton said he gives 10% of his revenue each year to the Clinton Foundation, and that Hillary “gave 17%” in the years she was with it.
Hillary Clinton has since stepped down from the foundation, amid accusations that her involvement with it raised potential conflicts of interest.
The comments come the day before publication of a potentially damning book, “Clinton Cash,” which is said to detail potential financial conflicts involving the Clinton Foundation.
“I don’t think there’s anything sinister in trying to get wealthy people and countries that are seriously involved in development to spend their money wisely in a way that helps poor people,” Bill Clinton said.
Watch “Clinton Cash” author Peter Schweizer weighing in on scrutiny of Bill and Hillary Clintons’ financial and charitable affairs. He speaks on Bloomberg TV’s “In The Loop”:
