Friday, March 16, 2018

Australian diplomat whose tip prompted FBI's Russia-probe has tie to Clintons

The Australian diplomat whose tip in 2016 prompted the Russia-Trump investigation previously arranged one of the largest foreign donations to Bill and Hillary Clinton's charitable efforts, documents show.

Former Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer's role in securing $25 million in aid from his country to help the Clinton Foundation fight AIDS is chronicled in decade-old government memos archived on the Australian foreign ministry's website.

Lawmakers say the FBI didn't tell Congress about Downer's prior connection to the Clinton Foundation.

Republicans say they are concerned the new information means nearly all of the early evidence the FBI used to justify its election-year probe of Trump came from sources supportive of the Clintons, including the controversial Steele dossier.

The Australian Foreign Ministry says the Clinton grant was handled like all its other $2 billion annual foreign aid awards, and it ultimately helped thousands in Asia gain access to antiretroviral AIDS medications.

Democrats accuse the GOP of overreaching, saying Downer's role in trying to help the Clinton Foundation fight AIDS shouldn't be used to question his assistance to the FBI. "The effort to attack the FBI and DOJ as a way of defending the President continues," said Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence panel.

Craig Minassian, a spokesman for the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation, said the focus should be on the foundation's success helping tens of thousands of AIDS patients.

http://thehill.com/376858-australian-diplomat-whose-tip-prompted-fbis-russia-probe-has-tie-to-clintons 

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