The financial and ethical controversy surrounding the charitable foundation run by Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton finally received attention this week from the nation’s largest Spanish-language network.
Univision, whose executive chairman, Haim Saban, is a top Clinton campaign and Clinton Foundation financial backer, aired a full report on the Foundation’s admitted financial reporting lapses and included the controversy over Hillary Clinton’s emails and alleged influence peddling as part of the mix.
“Hillary Clinton has been criticized for her use of personal email. Experts assure this has become a scandal since she announced her presidential candidacy. This scandal is also emerging following the publication of the book Clinton Cash, which faults the Foundation for receiving large sums of money from a Canadian businessman who sold parts of his business in this country after receiving approval from the Department of State.”
Univision has lagged behind other broadcast networks in covering the slew of scandals surrounding the Clinton Foundation. It is worth noting that correspondent Enny Pichardo’s report did not air on the network’s principal evening newscast, Noticiero Univision with Jorge Ramos, but rather on the network’s late-night (11:30 p.m. ET) national evening news.
In a related note, yesterday Univision’s morning program, Despierta América, also ran a news item on a U.S. House of Representatives investigative hearing on alleged corrupt practices by Alejandro Mayorkas, the Obama administration’s current Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security, who previously served as the administration’s Chief of Immigration and Citizenship Services from 2009 until 2013.
As reported by Univision, Mayorkas is under investigation for alleged favoritism in granting visas after being lobbied by Hillary Clinton’s brother, Hugh Rodham, and Terry McAuliffe, a long-time Clinton intimate and former Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who is now Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Below are the translated and original portions of the referenced Univision’s Edición Nocturna and Despierta América segments:
Edición Nocturna
English Translation:
ILIA CALDERÓN: Weeks after former First Lady Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy, executives of the Clinton Foundation have admitted to committing mistakes in donor declarations. However, they said they acted quickly to remedy the situation and avoid that it happens again. Enny Pichardo with the information.
ENNY PICHARDO: To many, the goal of Clinton Foundation is to improve the living conditions of millions of people around the world, but today this organization has seen itself involved in a big scandal. Through a press release, the Director General of the Foundation, Maura Pally, admitted having made various mistakes in the way donors were reported. She also promised to conduct a more transparent process, by sending more detailed data about donors to federal authorities.
JUAN CARLOS POLANCO, REPUBLICAN ANALYST: The fact that President Clinton has received more than $48 million while Hillary Clinton served as Secretary of State. It is a very serious problem. Secretary Clinton must assume responsibility and say ‘we made a big mistake.’
ENNY PICHARDO: However, there are those who say these accusations seek to discredit Clinton during election season.
LUIS MIRANDA, DEMOCRATIC ANALYST: At no time has there been a lie about how much money was received, the audited accounts show all the money that has been received and even more importantly, all this money goes to help causes throughout the world. We are not talking about people enriching themselves, but people who are enriching public well-being throughout the world.
ENNY PICHARDO: Hillary Clinton has also been strongly criticized for the use of her personal e-mail during her tenure as Secretary of State of the United States. Experts assure that this has become a scandal since she announced her candidacy for the presidency as a Democrat in 2016.
This scandal also arises following the publication of the book, Clinton Cash, written by Peter Schweizer, which faults the Foundation for receiving large quantities of money from a Canadian businessman who was able to sell shares of his business in this country, after receiving approval from the Department of State. For their part, Foundation executives recognized having done so because the laws of that country protect the identity of donors to these organizations.
ILIA CALDERÓN: Semanas después de que la ex primera dama Hillary Clinton anunciará su candidatura, directivos de la Fundación Clinton admitieron haber cometido fallas en las declaraciones de donaciones. Aun así dijeron el haber actuado rápido para remediar la situación y evitar que volviera a ocurrir. Enny Pichardo con la información.
ENNY PICHARDO: Para muchos, el objetivo de la fundación Clinton es mejorar la vida de millones de personas en el mundo, pero hoy en día esta organización se ha visto involucrada en un gran escándalo.
A través de un comunicado, la directora general de la organización, Maura Pally, reconoció haber cometido varios errores en la forma en que revelaron a sus donantes. Además, garantizó realizar un proceso más transparente, enviando datos más detallados, sobre sus donantes a las autoridades federales.
JUAN CARLOS POLANCO (ANALISTA REPUBLICANO): El presidente Clinton ha recibido más de $48 millones de dólares, bajo el cargo de la secretaria Clinton como secretaria de Estado. Es un problema bien serio y la secretaria Clinton debe de coger responsabilidad, hoy día, y decir ‘nosotros hicimos un error grande’.
ENNY PICHARDO: Sin embargo, hay quienes dicen que estas acusaciones pretenden desacreditar a Clinton en una temporada de elecciones.
LUIS MIRANDA (ANALISTA DEMÓCRATA): En ningún momento se ha mentido de cuánto dinero se recibió, las cuentas auditadas indican todo el dinero que se ha recibido y más importante aún, todo este dinero va para ayudar causas a través del mundo. No estamos hablando de gente que se está enriqueciendo, sino gente que está enriqueciendo el bienestar público a través del mundo.
ENNY PICHARDO: Hillary Clinton también ha sido fuertemente criticada por el uso de su e-mail personal mientras servía como secretaria de Estado de los Estados Unidos. Expertos aseguran que esto se ha convertido en un escándalo desde que anunció su precandidatura demócrata en los comicios del 2016.
Este escándalo surge también tras la publicación del libro Clinton Cash, escrito por Peter Schweizer, que culpa a la Fundación de recibir grandes cantidades de dinero de un empresario canadiense que logró vender parte de su negocio en esta nación tras recibir el visto bueno del Departamento de Estado. Directivos de la Fundación por su parte reconocieron haberlo hecho porque las leyes de ese país protegen la identidad de quienes donen dinero a estas organizaciones.
Despierta América
English Translation:
SATCHA PRETTO: The second in command of the Department of Homeland Security appears this Thursday before a House Committee to respond to allegations of favoritism. According to an investigation, Mayorkas might have committed ethical by using his former position as Director of the Immigration Service to grant visas to foreigners connected to at least three prominent Democratic Party politicians. Among them, the younger brother of presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
Original Spanish:
SATCHA PRETTO: El número dos del departamento de Seguridad Interna comparece este jueves ante un comité de la cámara baja para responder acusaciones de favoritismo. De acuerdo con una investigación, Alejandro Mayorkas se habría violado la ética al utilizar su antigua posición como director del servicio de inmigración para otorgar visas a extranjeros, conectados con al menos tres prominentes políticos del partido demócrata. Entre ellos, estaría el hermano menor de la precandidata presidencial Hillary Clinton.
