Bill Clinton's speeches were given special fast-track approval by the State Department

An investigation by the Associated Press found that when Bill Clinton got a highly profitable speaking gig while Hillary Clinton was secretary of state, he could count on it being fast-tracked by the State Department under his wife's direction.

More than 220 paid speeches, which netted the Clinton family some $50 million, were approved in this manner. In each case, AP reports, "the ethics office responsible for vetting his appearances hurriedly signed off on them, even in cases where questions had been raised about the behavior of organizations hiring Bill Clinton to appear."

This news is the latest of several allegations of inappropriate use of the State Department by the Clinton family for personal benefit, including Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email account for official business and the Clinton Foundation's acceptance of donations from foreign governments.

The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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