When the discussion of possible ransom payments to Iran surfaced, everyone was wondering why the U.S. State Department sent pallets of assorted cash currency, totaling $400 million to Iran on January 17th 2016.   The same day the hostages were released.

On August 4th President Obama held a press conference to discuss the controversy and denied it was a “ransom payment” (see video).  Specifically, to answer the question of “why cash“, President Obama said:

[06:05] “and the only bit of news that is relevant on this, is the fact that we paid cash.  Which brings me to my last point.

The reason that we had to give them cash is precisely because we are so strict in maintaining sanctions, and we do not have a banking relationship with Iran, that we couldn’t send them a check; and we could not wire the money.

And it is not at all clear to me why it is that cash, as opposed to a check or a wire transfer has made this into a news story”. [06:46]

However, two days later, January 19th 2016, the U.S. Treasury wired Iran 13 individual payments for $99,999,999.99 , each with an independent MICR, totaling $1,299,999,999.87.

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Hillary Clinton called in to CNN’s Anderson Cooper program tonight for a brief interview.

After claiming the appearance of “lots of smoke, but no fire” regarding the pay-to-play scheme during her tenure as Secretary of State, Secretary Clinton refused to answer the question about Colin Powell calling her “a liar“.

When Cooper asked Secretary Clinton why she was not available to the press and has not held a press conference her response was: “Stay tuned there will be a lot of different opportunities for me to talk to the press.”

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On Fox News with Megyn Kelly WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange discussed the process and timing for the release of thousands more documents relating to the U.S. election:

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The “pay-to-play” scandal between the Clinton Foundation and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been defended by claiming Secretary Clinton took no actionable steps to change State Dept. policy as a result of payment to the Foundation.

However, as the relationships between the Foundation and the State Department gain increased scrutiny the “access” to Clinton appears to be the purpose for the payments.  Sooner or later someone is going to mention the mysterious 2012 “Thanksgiving Holiday Fire” directly above Hillary’s office in the State Dept.

WASHINGTON DC – Hillary Clinton’s national finance director has emerged in newly released emails as what one watchdog called the “middle” man between her State Department and family foundation, sharing donor information with a top Clinton confidante when he was working at the foundation.

Dennis Cheng, before joining the campaign, worked for over three years as the foundation’s director of development and before that as deputy chief of protocol in Clinton’s State Department. (more…)

Wait,… didn’t we just pay them $1.7 billion, including $400 million for ‘ransom”?  You just can’t make this stuff up folks:

Washington – The State Department issued a warning on Monday urging U.S. citizens to avoid traveling to Iran, which has made the detention of Americans a priority.

The latest travel advisory, which emphasizes Iran’s desire to capture U.S. citizens, comes on the heels of a growing scandal over the Obama administration’s decision to pay Iran $400 million in cash on the same day that it freed several U.S. hostages.

The payment has been cast by lawmakers and others as a ransom payment and prompted concern among U.S. officials that Iran is making arresting Americans a priority.

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Huma Abedin, wife of Anthony “Carlos Danger” Weiner, is the closest confidante and adviser to Hillary Clinton.  Previously described as “Clinton’s second daughter”.

(Via New York Post) Top Hillary Clinton confidante Huma Abedin played no formal role in a radical Muslim journal — even though she was listed as an editor on the hate-filled periodical’s masthead for a dozen years, a campaign rep claimed Sunday.

“My understanding is that her name was simply listed on the masthead in that period,” Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said hours after The Post broke the bombshell story. “She did not play a role in editing at the publication.”

Merrill said Abedin was just a figurehead and not actually on staff at the Saudi-based and -funded Journal of Minority Muslim Affairs, which featured radically anti-feminist views and backed strict Islamic laws roundly criticized for oppressing women. (more…)

According to several media reports Hillary Clinton has promised to stop taking foreign donations to her Clinton Foundation, ie. bribes, if she wins the presidency.

How very magnanimous of her…

NEW YORK, Aug. 19 (UPI) — The Clinton Foundation will stop accepting all foreign donations and former President Bill Clinton will step down from running the charitable organization if Hillary Clinton wins the presidency, the group said. (link)

Leading some to wonder why she never took the same approach while she was acting as Secretary of State for the U.S.?  Then again, even this announcement is fraught with Clintonian parseltongue.   – SEE HERE for EXAMPLES –

The controversy surrounding Democratic Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s health continues to swirl. KABC’s Dr. Drew Pinsky says the former Secretary of State may be receiving inadequate health care that is not optimal for her condition.

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The ‘America-First’ Compassion Ticket Heads To Louisiana

Campaigning in North Carolina today, candidate Donald Trump began his campaign remarks by speaking about the horrific devastation in Louisiana:

[…] We are one nation. When one state hurts, we all hurt – and we must all work together to lift each other up. Working, building, restoring together.

Our prayers are with the families who have lost loved ones, and we send them our deepest condolences. Though words cannot express the sadness one feels at times like this, I hope everyone in Louisiana knows that our country is praying for them and standing with them to help them in these difficult hours. (link)

Candidate Trump’s comments followed a campaign announcement that Donald Trump and Governor Mike Pence will travel to Baton Rouge Louisiana tomorrow morning to see first-hand the worst national disaster since Hurricane Sandy in 2012. (more…)