Clinton Helped Crony Land Mining Deal

Two days after former president Bill Clinton took pal and mining mogul Frank Giustra to meet Kazakhstan's de facto dictator, Giustra landed a monster contract to mine uranium with state-run mining company Kazatomprom, the New York Times reports—despite his firm’s lack of relevant experience. Shortly thereafter, Clinton’s charitable foundation got a $31.3 million check from Giustra.

Clinton emerged from that meeting praising Kazakhstan's regime, contradicting the officially harsh stance of both US foreign policy and his own wife. Clinton and Giustra deny talking business, but Kazatomprom's chief said deals were struck openly over dinner. He also recalled a meeting, years later, with the pair in Clinton’s house, which both Clinton and Giustra initially denied before backtracking. (More Bill Clinton stories.)