A one-time senior aide to former Gov. Brian Schweitzer (D-MT) launched a blistering critique of Hillary Clinton in a new piece for the International Business Times. Schweitzer has been listed as a potential 2016 presidential contender, and the latest report from David Sirota even has National Review’s Jim Geraghty offering praise.
Here’s what Geraghty had to say in his latest “Morning Jolt” e-newsletter.
Fun Bedfellows: The Clinton Foundation, Hillary’s State Department, & Arms Dealers
I didn’t think I would ever say, “heck of a job, David Sirota.” But he and Andrew Perez have completed some important, eye-opening campaign journalism here
Prolly not great for folks to say “no smoking gun” about Hillary’s arms deals…which literally involve smoking guns http://t.co/93bP0JmIQr
— David Sirota (@davidsirota) May 27, 2015
Here’s an excerpt from the piece by Sirota and Andrew Perez: Clinton Foundation Donors Got Weapons Deals From Hillary Clinton’s State Department
Under Clinton’s leadership, the State Department approved $165 billion worth of commercial arms sales to 20 nations whose governments have given money to the Clinton Foundation, according to an IBTimes analysis of State Department and foundation data. That figure — derived from the three full fiscal years of Clinton’s term as Secretary of State (from October 2010 to September 2012) — represented nearly double the value of American arms sales made to the those countries and approved by the State Department during the same period of President George W. Bush’s second term.
The Clinton-led State Department also authorized $151 billion of separate Pentagon-brokered deals for 16 of the countries that donated to the Clinton Foundation, resulting in a 143 percent increase in completed sales to those nations over the same time frame during the Bush administration. These extra sales were part of a broad increase in American military exports that accompanied Obama’s arrival in the White House.
In other political news…Mike at The Western Word had a hilarious heading on this story: Thad Cochran channels Max Baucus
I don’t know if Cochran had recommended Webber for a position like U.S. Attorney or not but she had been on his staff since 1981. She reportedly makes $165,000 per year. She also went on taxpayer funded trips with him, like Hanes did with Baucus.