You will want to know all about the Clinton scandals and how this is still harming US politics…
In 2016, Donald Trump spoke about, in his words, “the failed policies and bad judgment of Crooked Hillary Clinton.”
The Clinton spouses—Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton—represent two of the most prominent and influential figures in modern American Democratic politics. Each has had an independent and intersecting political trajectory.
While Bill Clinton was the Democrat 42nd President of the United States (1993-2001), Hillary Clinton only campaigned to become US President in 2016. Both engaged with big US politics, they held key leadership positions in the Senate and the Democratic party. They were both center-left and fought for economic growth, welfare reforms, the 1994 Crime Bill, and NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement).
However, a lot of scandals have been targeting the Clintons throughout the years.
Here are the most noteworthy ones that we curated for you.
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Hillary email controversy
During her term as US Secretary of State, Hillary created controversy by using a private email server for official public communications instead of using an institutional email server. After a long investigation, the FBI determined that Hillary’s personal email did not contain any information marked as classified. Donald Trump stated that her practice aimed at corruption away from the federal institutions eyes and the fall of security of the whole United States. In the end, the FBI concluded that some 65 emails should have been marked as ‘Secret’ and 22 others as ‘Top Secret’.
Members of the Congress came forward and agreed that Hillary’s use of a private email server ultimately violated the federal law regarding the unauthorized removal and retention of classified documents or materials, as well as State Department protocols and procedures and regulations governing recordkeeping.
More importantly, hacking attempts were made in 2011 since Hillary’s personal email was set to be remotely accessible via Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Services. In 2012, Hillary’s emails were scanned by a hacker in Serbia, followed by hackers in Germany, South Korea, and China in 2014.
Hillary, nonetheless, insists that her use of the personal account did not put American secrets at risk for foreign espionage and hacking.
Whitewater, 1992
Starting in the late 1970s, the Clintons invested in a real estate development called the Whitewater Development Corporation, selling vacation properties in the Ozarks in Arkansas. This project failed, and the financial loss cost Americans millions of tax dollars.
Allegedly, the Clinton pair had used their political influence to benefit from or cover up losses in the investment venture. Also, a conflict of interest was seemingly happening between Hillary’s work at a law firm that did business with real estate regulator Madison Guaranty.
This scandal became more public during Bill’s presidential campaign. Thanks to public pressure and inquiries, prosecutor Ken Starr started an investigation. No criminal charges were filed against the Clintons. But their business partners, including James McDougal, Susan McDougal, and Webster Hubbell, were convicted of fraud and obstruction.
Although Bill remained popular throughout the majority of his presidential term, the inflammation of Clinton scandals back then still led to Clinton’s impeachment.
Travelgate, 1993
Emerging in 1993, just a few months after Bill Clinton won the presidency, the Travelgate scandal involved the abrupt firing of seven employees from the White House Travel Office, who managed travel arrangements for essential press corps. Allegedly, Hillary was motivated by their financial mismanagement and a desire to bring in ‘new blood’.
This quickly became a scandal due to allegations of cronyism, politicization of law enforcement, and Hillary’s unethical influence. First, critics said that Hillary planned to hire friends and allies instead; then the White House put pressure on the FBI to justify the firings. The fired employees were charged with diverse violations, but juries found them innocent.
Travelgate accumulated public attention in regards to the Clintons’ legacy and created suspicions among Republicans.
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Benghazi, 2012
The Benghazi scandal refers to the intense political and media controversy that followed the September 11, 2012, terrorist attack on a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, during Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State under President Barack Obama.
While Bill Clinton was not directly involved, the scandal became a major flashpoint in Hillary Clinton’s political career, particularly during her 2016 presidential campaign.
This incident was massively scrutinized because the State Department, led by Hillary Clinton, ignored requests for increased security in Benghazi, despite known instability in Libya back then. The Obama administration brought forward a statement according to which the attack was spontaneous. But it later became known that it was, in fact, a planned terrorist hit.
Clinton was ultimately responsible for diplomatic security and was accused of negligence or incompetence. She later also dismissively stated in a Senate hearing, “What difference, at this point, does it make?”
For Republicans, the Benghazi scandal became a rallying cry against Clinton, used to picture her as untrustworthy, unaccountable, and reckless in foreign policy.
The Clinton Foundation Scandal
Founded in 1997 as the William J. Clinton Foundation, it expanded after Bill left office. The organization was said to be advocating for global health, HIV/AIDS, economic development, climate change, women’s empowerment, etc. In return, it received considerable funds from governments, private companies, and individuals, both domestic and foreign.
The 2015 controversy revolved around the Foundation donations as conflicts of interest. Foreign companies donated at the time to the Foundation, including a Canadian company linked with Uranium One, the Russian uranium deal.
The Foundation did not end up fully disclosing all its donors, despite an Obama administration agreement requiring it to do so. More so, some foreign donations were not properly reported until revealed through journalistic investigations (e.g., The New York Times, Washington Post, etc.)
You can learn more about the Clinton Foundation from “Clinton Cash” by Peter Schweizer.
Here is a complete list of all scandals where the main actors were Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Bottom line
For Hillary Clinton, trust issues deepened. Many voters saw her as part of a political elite that blurred lines between public service and private gain. The accumulted scandals amplified concerns about transparency, especially when combined with her private email server scandal. It became central to Republican attacks during the 2016 campaign, especially Donald Trump’s message of “draining the swamp.”
For Bill Clinton and his privilege, his post-presidency financial dealings and global speaking tours raised questions about how ex-presidents should navigate the intersection of influence, money, and legacy. Even those critics who supported the Foundation’s mission believed mixing charity with politics created unavoidable ethical pitfalls.
None of these events eventually resulted in criminal convictions for either Clinton, but the media and public images were surely shaped by them. Despite the Clintons’ policy achievements and political triumphs, the people have not forgotten any detail.
What do you think of the Clinton scandals? Let us know down below in the comments.
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