It’s a day of the week that ends in “-day,” so Hillary Clinton’s unethical and out-of-touch behavior is at the center of the news. Check out 5 of the worst stories coming out of the Clinton campaign’s callous Friday afternoon news dump of their personal financial disclosure:
1) Vox: Jonathan Allen “Hillary Clinton personally took money from companies that sought to influence her”
There’s a reason government officials can’t accept gifts: They tend to have a corrupting effect. True, Hillary Clinton wasn’t a government official at the time the money was given. But it is very, very, very hard to see six-figure speaking fees paid by longtime political boosters with interests before the government — to a woman who has been running for president since the last time she lost — as anything but a gift . . . And while most Democrats will shrug it off — or at least pretend to — it’s the kind of behavior voters should take into account when considering whether they want to give a candidate the unparalleled power of the presidency. It goes to the most important, hardest-to-predict characteristic in a president: judgment.
2) MSNBC: Alex Seitz-Wald “Clinton’s wealth under fire again ahead of Iowa trip”
On Monday, Clinton will return to Iowa for events aimed at highlighting what she would do to help small businesses if elected president. As Clinton she ramps up her second presidential campaign, the former secretary of state has tried to introduce herself as a champion of the middle class and “everyday Americans,” but her wealth has repeatedly complicated that message. The filings also revealed, for instance, that the former secretary of state made close to $12 million from 51 speeches, while the former president fetched a slightly higher value on the 53 speeches he gave, for a total of more than $13 million . . . The Republican super PAC America Rising also knocked Bill Clinton for still accepting an Arkansas State government pension, even as he makes millions in paid gigs.
3) CBS News: Julianna Goldman “Groups lobbying on trade paid Hillary Clinton $2.5M in speaking fees”
Since leaving her post as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton earned millions of dollars delivering 41 paid speeches in the U.S. to a variety of companies and organizations. At least 10 of those groups have been lobbying Congress and federal agencies on trade, an issue that has divided Democrats as the Obama administration pushes for a 12-nation pacific trade deal – and around which Hillary Clinton has remained mum.
4) Bloomberg Politics: Jennifer Epstein “Hillary Clinton Pivots from Big Money to Small Business”
Three days after revealing that her own husband-and-wife cottage industry brought in more than $30 million since the start of 2014, Hillary Clinton arrives in Iowa on Monday to pitch herself as an advocate for small business . . . Finding out where Clinton stands hasn’t been easy: The last time the Democratic frontrunner took questions from the press was four weeks ago today — April 20 in Keene, N.H. When she has spoken to reporters, it has been for a question or two at a time, generally shouted at the end of one of her roundtables. Her refusal to do the kind of extended press conference that would allow for follow up questions has led to protests from journalists and gibes from her Republican rivals.
5) Washington Free Beacon: Andrew Stiles, “11 Fortune 500 CEOs Who Made Less Than the Clintons in 2014”
Bill and Hillary Clinton have raked in at least $30 million since January 2014, according to financial disclosure forms released on Friday. The Clintons’ total haul for the past year was roughly $25 million, which is more than double the annual salary of the average Fortune 500 chief executive.
Since declaring for president, Hillary Clinton has highlighted the pay disparity between CEOs and “the average worker.” The Clintons’ staggering income, on the other hand, is simply what the hardworking power couple requires to pay their bills.