Bill Clinton received a $300,000 speaking fee from a company managed by a man fleeing authorities in China, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post reported today. The fee relates to an event held on December 4, three days after President Obama nominated his wife to be secretary of state. A spokesman for the event’s organizer, Hybrid Kinetic Automotive Holdings, confirmed that the firm’s chairman, a Benjamin Yeung, is none other than Yang Rong, the former boss of Brilliance China Automotive. Mr. Yang is wanted in China for “economic crimes” and is one of that country’s more notorious fugitives.
There is no shame in being pursued by Beijing if your name is Tenzin Gyatso — in which case you’re also known as the Dalai Lama. But if you’re Benjamin Yeung, also known as Yang Rong, then you have not led such a noble life, and many think you could be a bit shady. So if you go by the name Bill Clinton, you shouldn’t be accepting large amounts of cash from fugitives from countries that can affect the future of the planet.
In late November, Bill Clinton agreed to submit future speeches for review by State Department ethics officials and, where appropriate, White House counsel. It looks as if the system broke down just a week after being put in place. And if you’re Mrs. Clinton and want to avoid further embarrassment, you can either resign or file for divorce because one thing’s for sure — Bubba is not going to change.
