Donations From Norwegian Gov’t To Clinton Foundation Sparks Scandal

By Jacob Bojesson

The Norwegian government has allegedly tried to hide millions of dollars in contributions to the Clinton Foundation spread out over eight years.

Daily newspaper Dagbladet has tracked $89.6 million of contributions back to Norway. Foreign Minister Børge Brende violated the government’s own policies by handing $3.57 million from the foreign aid budget to the Clinton Foundation, according to an internal memo.

The government and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation both split up donations into different channels of the Clinton Foundation in an attempt to make each contribution look smaller than it was.

The donation took place last year after Brende and Prime Minister Erna Solberg promised a contribution following a meeting with former President Bill Clinton.

“It was an incredibly energetic and nice Clinton,” Brende said after the meeting. “It’s incredibly exciting to hear his observations about what’s going on in the world.”

Clinton has previously expressed that the admiration is mutual.

“Your contributions in health and climate issues have been incredible, and I am very happy that you intend to come to our annual meeting next week,” Bill wrote in a letter to Solberg in September, 2014.

The projects the government supported include replacements of diesel generators to tropical islands with wind and solar power.

The Foreign Ministry dismisses claims that the contribution violated any government policies. The 27 countries that benefited from the donations are not part of the government’s list of priority assistance countries.

Norway is among the three countries in the world that contributes the most to the Clinton Foundation.

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