CUE WORLD’S SMALLEST VIOLIN: Bill Clinton eyes exit from charity that has shaped legacy.
When Bill Clinton told the staff of his global charity he would have to step down if Hillary Clinton won the White House, he was vividly clear about how that felt: Worse than a root canal, he said.
For Clinton, the foundation that bears his name has shaped much of his post-White House legacy, helping transform him from a popular yet scandal-tainted former president into an international philanthropist and humanitarian.
The Clinton Foundation’s charitable works amounted to just “15% of its revenues while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, and just 6.4% in the first year after it.” In 2013 he Foundation spent as much on travel for its executives and staff as it did on charitable grants.
It’s easy to see why giving that up would be painful, but it isn’t as though being First Spouse doesn’t come with perks of its own.