Nothing to see here…
Hillary Clinton’s advocacy for an obscure government agency often accused of cronyism exemplifies her status as the consummate self-dealing Washington insider, according to critics of the likely Democratic presidential nominee.
Freedom Partners, a trade association backed by libertarian philanthropists Charles and David Koch, sought to tie Clinton’s advocacy on behalf of the U.S. Export-Import Bank on Friday to large corporate donations to her family’s foundation.
A review of the Clinton Foundation’s donor rolls reveals financial support by a number of Ex-Im beneficiaries, including foreign state-owned corporations and a French bank that last year admitted to violating sanctions against a state-sponsor of terrorism.
The group also pointed to the bank’s support for a number of Clinton Foundation donors, including Boeing and General Electric, whose exports have received taxpayer backing through the agency. Even Ex-Im’s chairman is a foundation donor, they noted.
The Ex-Im Bank is a relatively small government agency in terms of dollars spent. It authorized roughly $20 billion in financing last fiscal year for the purchase of U.S. exports by foreign governments and corporations.
Despite its size, the agency has become a flashpoint in the debate over the role of U.S. government subsidies in the global economy and the influence of powerful industry forces in federal policymaking.
The House of Representatives is currently debating whether to reauthorize the bank. Its funding expires next month.