Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton (born October 26, 1947 in Chicago, Illinois as Hillary Diane Rodham) is the junior United States Senator from New York, serving her freshman term since January 3, 2001. She was First Lady of the United States from 1993 to 2001, as the wife of President Bill Clinton.

Controversies

Cattle futures

In 1979, Clinton's trades in cattle futures contracts generated criticism regarding conflict of interest. Her initial $1,000 investment generated $100,000 (a 10,000% return) when she stopped trading ten months later. Chicago Mercantile Exchange records indicated that $40,000 of her profits came from larger trades initiated by Clinton's lawyer and friend, James Blair, an experienced futures trader and outside counsel to Tyson Foods. According to exchange records, Robert L. "Red" Bone, the commodities broker that facilitated the trades on behalf of Ray E. Friedman and Co. (Refco), reportedly because Blair was a good client, allowed Clinton to maintain her positions even though she did not have enough money in her account to cover her activity. Refco was fined for violating Chicago Mercantile Exchange rules governing margin trading. After an investigation, Leo Melamed, chair of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, concluded that Clinton hadn't violated the rules http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/special/whitewater/stories/wwtr940527.htm.

Related Topics:
1979 - Futures contract - Chicago Mercantile Exchange - Tyson Foods - Robert L. "Red" Bone - Ray E. Friedman and Co. - Margin - Leo Melamed

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Whitewater scandal

While in Arkansas, the Clintons were partners with Jim and Susan McDougal in a real estate venture known as Whitewater. At the time the McDougals operated a savings and loan that retained Clinton's legal services at Rose Law Firm. When the McDougals' savings and loan failed in 1994, federal investigators subpoenaed Clinton's legal billing records for auditing purposes. Hillary Clinton was unable to produce these records. After an extensive, two-year search, the records were found in the first lady's book room in the White House and delivered to investigators in 1996. The delayed appearance of the billing records sparked intense interest and another investigation about how they surfaced and where they had been. After the discovery of the records, on January 26, 1996, Clinton made history by becoming the first first lady to testify before a grand jury. The Whitewater investigation was initiated by independent counsel Ken Starr. The investigations, which took place during Bill Clinton's presidency and cost an estimated $40 million, resulted in the McDougals being jailed and Webster Hubbell pleading guilty to felony charges of lying to federal investigators about Clinton's role in both Whitewater and the savings and loan failure. No criminal charges were brought against the Clintons themselves. According to reports, the Clintons lost their financial investment in the Whitewater business projects http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/arkansas/docs/recs.html http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/arkansas/docs/recs.html.

Related Topics:
Jim - Susan McDougal - Savings and loan - Rose Law Firm - 1994 - 1996 - Whitewater investigation - Ken Starr - Webster Hubbell

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Vince Foster's suicide

The Whitewater investigation examined the suicide of Vince Foster. Critics of the Clintons had alleged that Foster's death was not a suicide, that it was connected to Whitewater, and that Hillary Clinton was somehow involved, and in particular that she and Foster had had an affair. http://archive.salon.com/news/1998/05/28news.html Some conspiracy theories even claimed that she had killed Foster herself http://www.drudgereport.com/matth.htm or had him killed http://mediamatters.org/items/200509210002. Starr's investigation, as well as investigations by the Department of Justice, the FBI, and the Park Police, all concluded that Foster's death was a suicide.

Related Topics:
Vince Foster - Conspiracy theories

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Hasidic pardons

In 2000, two months after Clinton's election to the Senate, President Clinton pardoned four residents of the New Square Hasidic enclave in Rockland County, New York, who had been convicted of defrauding the federal government. The New Square community had voted over 99 to 1 in favor of Mrs. Clinton, raising allegations of conflict of interest. A federal investigation launched by critics of the pardon cleared both Clintons of any illegal activity.

Related Topics:
2000 - Pardoned - Hasidic - Conflict of interest

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Gandhi comment

Clinton came under criticism in 2004 after saying that Mahatma Gandhi "ran a gas station down in Saint Louis." Many took Clinton's words as stereotyping South Asians living in the United States. Clinton apologized, blamed "a lame attempt at humor," and claimed that she "admired the work and life of Mahatma Gandhi and had spoken publicly about that many times http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/152686p-134376c.html." Michelle Naef, administrator of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence said she didn't think Clinton was trying to demean Mahatma Gandhi and credited both Clintons as long having supported the Gandhi message. However, Naef said that Clinton's remarks were offensive and could be "incredibly harmful http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/01/06/elec04.s.mo.farmer.clinton.ap/."

Related Topics:
2004 - Mahatma Gandhi - South Asians - Michelle Naef - M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence

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Rosen's indictment and acquittal

Clinton's former finance director, David Rosen, was indicted on January 7 2005 on campaign finance charges related to a fund-raising event produced by Peter F. Paul. Paul, who was convicted on stock fraud charges after being extradited from Brazil, claims he spent $1.2 million to produce the "Hollywood tribute to honor President Clinton" event, which was both a tribute to honor President Clinton and a fundraiser for Clinton's 2000 Senate campaign. The Justice Department indictment charged Rosen with filing false reports with the Federal Election Commission by reporting only $400,000 in contributions. On May 27, 2005, the jury acquitted Rosen on all counts http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050527/ap_on_re_us/clinton_fundraising_probe.

Related Topics:
David Rosen - January 7 - 2005 - Peter F. Paul - Brazil - Justice Department - Federal Election Commission - May 27

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Peter Paul has also filed a civil suit in this matter. http://www.hillcap.org

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