President-elect Donald Trump’s administration will encourage foreign governments to investigate the Clinton Foundation’s finances, according to a source close to the transition team.
The new administration will pressure its new ambassadors to urge governments in Haiti and Colombia to investigate the foundation’s financial dealings, the New York Post reported.
Trump said he will not investigate or pursue charges against Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server or role in the Clinton Foundation while at the State Department. But Trump’s statement did not say anything about encouraging foreign governments to look into the foundation’s work in various countries.
“Haiti and Colombia will be key diplomatic posts for this because of all the money involved,” said the source.
Senior foundation officials coordinated with the State Department to give “Friends of Bill” Clinton preferential treatment during earthquake recovery efforts in Haiti in 2010, according to emails obtained by the Republican National Committee through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit.
Canadian mining magnate Frank Giustra pledged $100 million to the foundation in 2005 and later benefited from the foundation’s work in Colombia, where he used the land he acquired in the country to set up an oil business, according to the Post.
The foundation has received millions of dollars from foreign governments such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Canada, Sweden and Ireland.
But donations to the foundation have dropped by 37 percent to $108 million last year after allegations that Hillary Clinton used the charity to solicit million-dollar donations from foreign governments and corporations in exchange for favorable treatment from the State Department while Hillary was Secretary of State.
Hillary Clinton left the Clinton Foundation in April 2015 to run for president. After the election loss to Trump, it is unclear whether or not she will resume her duties on the board of directors with Bill and Chelsea Clinton.