'Fresh testimony' on Clintons in Uranium One scandal
This is a story that will not die easily, because there are actual dots that connect and lead – or give the appearance to leading – to the Clinton Global Initiative and Hillary Clinton's secretary of state office.
The Uranium One scandal is a kickback, bribery, and corruption affair that sent several Russian and American officials in the uranium industry to jail. But the connection between the Russians and the Clinton Foundation has always interested investigators because you can draw a line from Russian donations to the foundation and the decision to sell the Uranium One mining company to Russia.
Now the undercover FBI agent who broke the case wide open is saying he has given fresh testimony to the FBI on the Clintons and Uranium One.
Campbell said he was asked specifically about whether donations to the Clintons charitable efforts were used to influence U.S. nuclear policy during the Obama year, and that agents questioned him extensively about claims the Russians made to him that they had routed millions of dollars to an American lobbying firm in 2010 and 2011 with the expectation it would be used to help President Clinton's charitable global initiative while major uranium decisions were pending before Hillary Clinton's State Department.
"They were looking into the Clintons, and the information that I provided to them about the Clintons and about what was said and confirmed by Russian leadership seemed to be very important to them," Campbell said, appearing in shadow during the interview to protect his identity.
Spokesmen for the Clinton Foundation and Hillary Clinton did not return calls Thursday seeking comment. The Clintons have long denied donations influenced any policies.
Campbell worked as an FBI undercover informant from 2008 through 2014 inside Russia's nuclear industry, helping to uncover a bribery, kickback, money laundering and extortion scheme that sent several Russian and U.S. executives to prison.
He was summoned for a closed-door congressional interview last month by Republicans, who believe the criminal wrongdoing Campbell uncovered should have stopped the Obama administration from approving the sale of the Uranium One mining firm and billions of dollars in U.S. nuclear fuel contracts to Russia. House Democrats issued a blistering memo attacking Campbell's credibility, saying he couldn't identify specific crimes committed by the Clintons and suffered from memory lapses that required him to rely on written notes.
Campbell dismissed the Democrats' attacks as partisan.
"I am not a Republican. I am not a Democrat. I'm not an independent. I am a damn American," he said. "I'd like to remind those Democratic staff members who wrote that interview summary that none of 'em have ever worked undercover as a confidential informant ... and put themselves in clear and present danger with Russian criminals who are breaking U.S. law."
The problem for investigators isn't that the Clintons engaged in criminal activity. The problem is that prosecutors are having a hard time proving it beyond a reasonable doubt. The connection between the Clintons and Russia is undeniable. But can prosecutors prove that there were cause and effect? Can they show in a court of law that the "donations" by Russia to the Clinton Foundation actually led to the sale of Uranium One? Not at the present time.
As the article notes, at the very least, the Obama administration should have been warned off giving Russia such generous access to the U.S. uranium industry. But the administration took no action to stop what proved to be a massive criminal conspiracy that compromised our nuclear industry.