Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is making headlines again. This time, the billionaire real estate mogul is demanding that a special prosecutor investigate the Clinton Foundation, a charity organization founded in 1997 by then President Bill Clinton.
During a speech at a rally in Akron, Ohio, Trump stated his concern regarding the relationship special interest groups and major companies have with the Foundation, even suggesting corruption. The Republican candidate further demanded that the investigation be expedited, and start “immediately, immediately, immediately.”
Trump has never shied away from painting Clinton as a political insider with corrupt ties to big corporations and major political donors. On Twitter, the billionaire often refers to Clinton as “Crooked Hillary” and her running mate Tim Kaine as “Corrupt Kaine.”
While his supporters are in agreement that an investigation into the Clinton Foundation should be launched with all possible speed, news outlets are more skeptical of Trump’s claims. CharityWatch, an independent group that monitors nonprofits, gives the Foundation an A rating, naming it as among the top charitable organizations in the world. The Foundation is celebrated by everyday people for its support of economic development, healthcare, and women’s rights in the developing world.
The Clinton campaign has shrugged off Trump’s claims of corruption at the Foundation as simple political opportunism. Clinton’s aides have even pointed out that Trump himself has donated in excess of $110,000 to the Clinton Foundation over the years. Brian Fallon, Clinton’s press secretary, tweeted that Trump’s allegations are absurd, writing,
“Trump donated to the Clinton Foundation while HRC was Secretary of State. Doesn’t that mean he is calling for an investigation of himself?”
It remains to be seen if any law enforcement organization will follow through on Trump’s call for a special investigation.