Bill Clinton aide brags of enriching ex-president, Clinton Foundation, in WikiLeaks hacked memo

Bill Clinton is the subject of 2011 memo
(Image credit: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)

On Wednesday, WikiLeaks released a 2011 memo written by longtime Bill Clinton aide Douglas Band and hacked from the emails of John Podesta, Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman and at the time a top adviser to the Clinton Foundation. In the 12-page memo, Band defended "the unorthodox nature" of his multiple roles raising money for the Clinton Foundation, procuring paid speaking engagements for Bill Clinton, and getting clients for his own nascent consulting firm, Teneo — a network of activity Band called "Bill Clinton Inc."

Band wrote the memo to a law firm Chelsea Clinton had hired to audit the foundation, part of her push to clean up and professionalize the family charity after she took a more leading role. In other emails released by WikiLeaks, Chelsea had complained to Podesta that Band and his Teneo staff were using Bill Clinton's name without permission to benefit Teneo, and appeared to be "hustling business" at Clinton Foundation events. Band, in the Podesta emails, calls Chelsea "a spoiled brat kid who has nothing else to do but create issues to justify what she's doing because she, as she has said, hasn't found her way and has a lack of focus in her life"; "has gone to daddy to change a decision or interject herself"; and through a complimentary email had given him "a kiss on the cheek while she is sticking the knife in the back, and front."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.