From:robbymook2015@gmail.com
To: john.podesta@gmail.com
Date: 2015-03-11 15:29
Subject: Villarreal--potential flag
So, not to be a complete pain in the
ass, but I found a potential flag about Jose Villarreal. I was re-reading the
self research documents and it looks like he's snared up in the conflict of
interest stuff at State...not the WORST thing in the world, but there's a real
argument here that he was at the nexus of foundation/state issues. Mostly
trumped up, but I'd question if we want him as an officer. Again, sorry to be a
pain on this, but I think it's important. As Secretary, Clinton took advantage
of her financial networks and corporate connections to raise over $72 million
from 66 corporations for the United States Pavilion at the World’s Fair in
Shanghai in 2010. She also appointed a longtime friend of the family, Jose
Villarreal, to be the Commissioner General of the U.S.’s Expo in Shanghai. When
soliciting contributions, Clinton had little consideration for ethics, as the
corporations who were featured in Shanghai also contributed to her foundation
and received accolades from the State Department. For example, some of the
biggest contributors to Shanghai, including Proctor & Gamble, Boeing, and
General Electric, all received favorable treatment from the State Department.
The corporate contributions were a boon for Clinton,giving her a public
relations win as she helped save the privately-funded U.S. pavilion. But in
doing so, Clinton allowed the corporations to become the centerpiece of an
exhibit that is supposed to emphasize American values. As the Washington Post noted,
the American pavilion was “larded with corporate advertising” but contained “no
messages about democracy or freedom of expression or religious beliefs.” In her
haste to help herself and her corporate allies, Clinton forgot the purpose of
American participation in events like the expo.
