Newly released FBI documents expose a tangled web of foreign donations and questionable dealings tied to Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation during her time as Secretary of State.
As Clinton neared the presidential nomination in the spring of 2016, FBI field agents pushed to probe allegations of foreign funds flowing into the Clinton Foundation and potential pay-to-play schemes, only to be stonewalled by headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Back in 2016, as Clinton was on the cusp of clinching the Democratic nomination, FBI field officers were sounding the alarm about foreign contributions to the Clinton Foundation. They suspected the charity might have been a vehicle for campaign funds or even a tool to sway American foreign policy during her tenure as Secretary of State.
Agents in New York, led by Assistant Director in Charge Diego Rodriguez, urged headquarters to grill Clinton with pointed questions about these dealings. But, in a move that smells of political protection, FBI brass in D.C. shut down the investigation, letting the trail go ice-cold. It’s a classic case of the powerful dodging the heat while regular folks are left wondering who’s really in charge.
Codenamed “Cracked Foundation,” this probe had evidence to work with, including a recorded chat between Clinton and Indian hotel magnate Sant Singh Chatwal, a longtime donor and family friend. Chatwal, who once served as a trustee for the Foundation, discussed donations and Clinton’s lingering 2008 campaign debt in those tapes. This isn’t just gossip—it’s the kind of thing that demands answers.
Chatwal’s history with Clinton isn’t just cozy—it’s complicated. He pled guilty in 2014 to laundering straw donations for her 2008 campaign, forfeiting $1 million in a deal with the Department of Justice, and was even tied to a 2008 Indo-U.S. nuclear deal that loosened restrictions on American tech exports to India. Investigators wanted to press Clinton on whether Chatwal’s lobbying for that deal, celebrated with a prestigious Indian award in 2010, came with strings attached.
Here’s Chatwal himself, caught on tape with an FBI informant in the 2014 case, saying, “That’s the only way to buy them, get into the system.” If that doesn’t make you pause and wonder how deep this goes, what will? From a conservative lens, this reeks of elitist backroom deals that sidestep the little guy.
Despite all this, when Clinton sat for an FBI interview in July 2016, the focus was narrowly on her private email server under a separate probe called “Midyear Exam.” Not a single question about the Foundation or Chatwal crossed the table—talk about a missed opportunity. It’s frustrating to see potential misconduct swept under the rug.
Adding fuel to the fire, evidence shows the Clinton Foundation kept accepting foreign money while Clinton was Secretary of State, despite her public pledge to the Obama administration to restrict such contributions. She was supposed to limit donations from countries where she lobbied for actions, but the cash kept rolling in without proper disclosures.
Even more eyebrow-raising, a second nonprofit, the Clinton Guistra Sustainable Growth Initiative, popped up soon after her pledge, funneling most of its funds to the Foundation with zero financial transparency. It’s a loophole big enough to drive a truck through, and it leaves conservatives asking why accountability seems optional for the connected.
In 2019, an assistant U.S. attorney from the Eastern District of New York vented frustration, stating, “We were trying to explore the Foundation, and we were told ‘NO’ by FBI HQ.” That’s a damning admission of how field agents were handcuffed by higher-ups. It’s a slap in the face to those who believe in equal justice under the law.
Let’s not forget the bigger picture: while Clinton and her associates, like Chatwal, whose properties Forbes once valued at $750 million, moved in elite circles, ordinary Americans were left out of the loop. Books like “Clinton Cash” by Peter Schweizer, which sparked the Cracked Foundation probe, suggest a pattern of influence peddling that could impact national security.
Neither the Clinton Foundation nor Chatwal responded to requests for comment, leaving more questions than answers. For conservatives tired of the progressive agenda dodging scrutiny, this is a rallying cry to demand full investigations, not half-measures. No one gets a free pass when trust in our institutions is on the line.
