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)

published 27 October 2016

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."

In the memo, Band listed how much each of Teneo's 20 clients had donated to the Clinton Foundation ($8 million) or paid Bill Clinton in speaking fees ($3 million), and in an email said that Bill Clinton "is personally paid" by some Clinton Foundation donors and "gets many expensive gifts from them." The fallout with Chelsea led to Band's departure from the Clinton orbit starting in 2012. Hillary Clinton is not mentioned in the memo, though other emails show her aides trying to figure out how to inoculate Hillary from any foundation activity that could harm her political future.

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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.