Lugar: End Foreign Donations to Clinton Foundation

Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) said former President Bill Clinton’s foundation should stop taking donations from foreign contributors should his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) be confirmed as Secretary of State.

Arguing that potential conflicts of interest could arise by accepting such donations to the Clinton Foundation, Lugar, the ranking member of the committee considering Mrs. Clinton’s nomination, encouraged the organization to stop taking money from foreigners during Mrs. Clinton’s term, as well as immediately disclose all contributions of more than $50,000 to the organization.

“The only certain way to eliminate this risk going forward is for the Clinton Foundation to forswear new foreign contributions when Senator Clinton becomes Secretary of State,” Lugar said.

He called efforts by the foundation to disclose its donors “positive steps,” but added: “We should be clear that this agreement is a beginning, not an end…the requirements for transparency in the [Memorandum of Understanding] should be considered a minimum standard.”