Newly revealed FBI documents paint a disturbing picture of influence and potential corruption surrounding Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State. The files detail intercepted communications involving Clinton and Sant Singh Chatwal, a convicted felon and major Clinton donor, raising serious questions about the Clinton Foundation’s operations.
The revelations stem from the FBI’s “Cracked Foundation” investigation, launched as early as 2010, and expose concerns over foreign bribery and “pay-to-play” schemes. Chatwal, a longtime Clinton family friend and Foundation trustee, pleaded guilty in 2014 to laundering illegal donations to Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, forfeiting $1 million in the process.
A chilling FBI informant recording captured Chatwal’s blunt admission: “That’s the only way to buy them, get into the system.” This statement underscores his belief that illicit contributions were the key to influencing political figures, a sentiment that fueled the FBI’s investigation into potential wrongdoing.
As Clinton neared the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, FBI field agents in New York urgently requested permission to interrogate her about these foreign donations. They meticulously prepared a series of pointed questions, highlighting evidence of intercepted communications linked to the Clinton Foundation.
Central to their inquiry was a recorded conversation between Clinton and Chatwal discussing the settlement of Clinton’s outstanding 2008 campaign debt. According to the documents, Clinton allegedly suggested Chatwal redirect his donations from her campaign to the Clinton Foundation, a move that raised immediate red flags.
Agents sought to directly ask Clinton if donations to the Foundation were used for personal gain or to settle campaign debts, questioning whether the ostensibly charitable organization was being exploited as a conduit for illicit funds. This line of questioning struck at the heart of concerns about the Foundation’s true purpose.
Further scrutiny focused on Chatwal’s influence on the landmark 2008 U.S.-India nuclear deal, a significant shift in decades-long American policy. Chatwal reportedly spent millions of his own money and directly contacted the Indian prime minister to celebrate the deal’s passage.
Chatwal himself boasted of swaying Clinton on the issue, claiming he convinced her to support the deal after initial reservations. He openly stated it took “four years and millions of dollars” of his own money, proudly declaring his love for his “motherland” as justification for his efforts.
FBI agents pressed to determine if Chatwal’s donations had actually bought influence, specifically asking if he provided cash payments to Indian officials to secure the nuclear agreement. This investigation delved into the potential for a quid pro quo, linking financial contributions to favorable foreign policy outcomes.
The documents also reveal the Clinton Foundation continued accepting foreign donations during Clinton’s time as Secretary of State, despite an agreement with the Obama administration to restrict and fully disclose such contributions. This apparent disregard for the agreed-upon restrictions raised further suspicions.
A separate entity, the Clinton Giustra Sustainable Growth Initiative (CGSGI), was established, funneling funds to the Foundation without the required disclosures. Agents sought to uncover the funding sources for CGSGI and identify which foreign governments were contributing through this opaque channel.
Despite these compelling leads and the mounting evidence, FBI headquarters in Washington, under the Obama administration, refused to pursue the investigation. The decision to halt the probe sparked frustration among field agents who believed crucial questions remained unanswered.
During Clinton’s July 2016 interview with the FBI regarding her private email server, none of these critical questions about the Clinton Foundation were asked. A frustrated assistant U.S. attorney later revealed in 2019: “We were trying to explore the Foundation, and we were told ‘NO’ by FBI HQ. Field agents were frustrated. But HQ would not let it go forward.”
