How did a Clinton Foundation donor get on a top-secret national security board without any experience?


A new batch of emails released by the State Department reveal that an inexperienced Clinton Foundation donor was put on a sensitive government intelligence advisory board in a move that bewildered the department's staff, according to ABC News.
The Clinton Foundation lists Rajiv K. Fernando as having given between $1 and $5 million to the organization; he was also an early supporter of Clinton's 2008 presidential bid, maxing out the number of contributions he could give to her campaign and to HillPAC in 2007 and 2008. He additionally worked as a fundraising bundler, raising more than $100,000 for her run as well as giving between $100,000 and $250,000 to the William J. Clinton Foundation and $30,000 to advocacy group WomenCount, indirectly helping Clinton with her 2008 campaign debts.
Fernando was given a seat on the International Security Advisory Board, although he lacked the experience shared by his colleagues, which included nuclear scientists, former cabinet secretaries, and members of Congress. In fact, ABC News notes that his "only known qualification … was his technical know-how." The board advised Clinton on the use of tactical nuclear weapons and on other arms control issues, and the members of the board as a result had clearance to the highest levels of top-secret information.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

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.
"We had no idea who he was," a board member told ABC News.
ABC News contacted the State Department in August 2011, seeking a copy of Fernando's resume. The released emails show officials trying to stall on getting information back to reporters. "We must protect the Secretary's and Under Secretary's name, as well as the integrity of the Board. I think it's important to get down to the bottom of this before there's any response…As you can see from the attached, it's natural to ask how he got onto the board when compared to the rest of the esteemed list of members," press aide Jamie Mannina wrote.
Mannina was twice instructed to stall getting back to ABC News. When he finally did, it was with information about Fernando's resignation. "Mr. Fernando chose to resign from the Board earlier this month citing additional time needed to devote to his business," the note said.
Read more about the investigation and see the emails at ABC News.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Gandhi arrests: Narendra Modi's 'vendetta' against India's opposition
The Explainer Another episode threatens to spark uproar in the Indian PM's long-running battle against the country's first family
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK
-
How the woke right gained power in the US
Under the radar The term has grown in prominence since Donald Trump returned to the White House
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK
-
Codeword: April 24, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
By The Week Staff
-
Musk vows DOGE pullback as Tesla profits plunge
Speed Read The Tesla SEO says he will soon step back from government matters to devote more time to the company
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
IMF sees slump from tariffs, Trump tries to calm markets
Speed Read The International Monetary Fund predicts the U.S. and global economies will slow significantly due to the president's trade war
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US