"Look, Hillary Clinton is supposed to be representing the U.S. government, and American citizens, in foreign policy. What you see in the emails that have come out and that are going to continue to come out, by the way, I've seen some of the other ones that are going to be released soon, what you find is that she's spending a lot of time taking calls, and the State Department is doing favors for foreign oligarchs, that, really, you would have no reason for the secretary of state to be doing favors for, other than the fact that they are donors to the Clinton Foundation.
He cited the example of Gilbert Chagoury, "a Nigerian-Lebanese businessman who has been charged and convicted of crimes in Europe, has a very sketchy record in terms of his involvement with dictators in Nigeria, etc., and yet, he is getting access to Huma Abedin and to the secretary of state."
"Why? He's not an American citizen. He doesn't do significant business in the United States. He's not a former government official that might be helpful in advancing American interests," Schweizer pointed out. "He's a guy who's donating millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation and sponsors speeches by Bill, and he is getting access to America's top decision-makers."
We're all used to retail politics. You know, a guy on Wall Street raises money for an American politician, and then that politician gives him access and favors. But this has been a game up until this point, Matt, played by Americans, because federal law does not allow guys like Gilbert Chagoury, or other foreign oligarchs, to give to American political campaigns. It's against federal law.
"The Clinton Foundation is the way around that," he added, "because now, instead of giving money to the Clinton campaign, you can give money to the Clinton Foundation, and if you're a foreign national, the sky is the limit."
Schweizer said it was important for American voters to understand that "this is not just traditional pay-to-play; this is now foreign money, giving foreign oligarchs access to our political leaders, through a mechanism like the Clinton Foundation."
