Hillary Rodham Clinton charged $200,000 to speak at a Boys and Girls Club charity event last year and then donated 100 percent of her earnings back into her family’s own $2 billion foundation, according to a recent Politico report.
The Democratic presidential candidate’s $200,000 speaking fee was the largest paid by the Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach to any speaker and was among the least profitable, according to sources familiar with club finances, Politico reported.
Sources also complained that Mrs. Clinton gave her speech and left without visiting any of the club’s facilities or meeting with the children. Her speech was also closed to the press, Politico reported.
By contrast, Condoleezza Rice, who spoke at the same event five years earlier, spent the morning before her speech touring a club facility and talking with its children, Politico reported. Her speech was open to the press.
“With Hillary, it was more businesslike,” a volunteer at the event told Politico. “She did acknowledge what we do for the community, but it felt like a little bit of hypocrisy because her speaking fee was higher than anyone we’ve ever had, and she didn’t donate anything back.”
Ms. Rice collected a $60,000 speaking fee for her event and then donated almost all of it back to the club, sources told Politico. Her appearance raised nearly $258,000 after expenses, compared to Mrs. Clinton’s $106,000, Politico reported.
Mrs. Clinton’s husband, former President Bill Clinton, was the club’s 2007 featured speaker. Mr. Clinton charged the group $150,000 and reported the earnings as personal income, Politico reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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