Libertarian Party presidential nominee Gary Johnson said Wednesday he does see an element of “pay to play” in the latest revelations that many donors to the Clinton Foundation also got meetings or schedule phone calls with Hillary Clinton.
“There is an implication that when you give those donations that you will have access,” Mr. Johnson said Wednesday on CNN’s “New Day.” “And that’s pay to play.”
“There is a big pay for play out there - that you give contribution[s], and contribution[s] give you access,” he said. “It doesn’t give you action on what it is that you propose, but it’s access and it’s a constant feeding of that access.”
“It’s not illegal. None of this is illegal,” he said. “It’s just that the implication and the fact that it is being paid and that it’s unstated. Look, if you don’t pay for that access, you don’t get the access.”
The AP reported Tuesday that at least 85 of 154 people from private interests who met or had phone calls with Mrs. Clinton as secretary of state also donated to the foundation or pledged commitments to international programs. The Clinton campaign said the report is working with an incomplete data set.
The Clinton Foundation says it plans to wind down foreign and corporate donations if Mrs. Clinton is elected president.
“Gee - we’re going to disband the Clinton Foundation if Hillary’s elected president, but it was okay while she was secretary of state?” Mr. Johnson said.
Mr. Johnson’s criticism is notable, because he has said he didn’t see criminal intent in Mrs. Clinton’s private email server and set-up.
“For the longest time, I wondered what these half a million dollar speaking fees were that Bill [Clinton] was being paid for, and then starting to link up - well gee, here’s the speaking fee and here’s the agreement that was signed with the State Department shortly thereafter,” he said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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