Hillary Clinton is making hundreds of thousands of dollars for speaking at universities, Wall Street banks, and industry conventions across the United States. Clinton is the only 2016 presidential contender being paid for speeches she delivers.
Under the Freedom of Information Act, the Washington Post obtained copies of e-mails and other internal communication of Clinton’s efforts to manage her speaking engagements. The documents acquired by the Washington Post provide some of the demands made by Clinton and the speakers’ agent, the Harry Walker Agency.
Immediately after Clinton left her job as secretary of state in February, Hillary delivered a speech in March at the University of California at Los Angeles. Harry Walker Agency controlled and managed every detail of Clinton’s speaking appearances.
According to the Washington Post , when UCLA officials tried to negotiate Hillary Clinton’s $300,000 speech appearance at the public university, they asked Clinton representatives for a reduced rate.
Clinton’s representatives enlightened the university that $300,000 is the “special university rate.”
Prior to Clinton’s scheduled appearance at UCLA, her representatives requested a case of still water, at room temperature, to be deposited stage right. They also asked that “a carafe of warm/hot water, coffee cup, and saucer, a pitcher of room temperature water, water glass, and lemon wedges” be positioned on a table and on the stage, as well as in an additional room where Hillary would stand for a photo opportunity.
Additionally, Clinton’s representatives requested: “Coffee, tea, room temp sparkling and still water, diet ginger ale, crudité, hummus and sliced fruit” for the green room. They also made a request for a computer, mouse, printer, and scanner. In addition to the $300,000 “special university rate,” the university had to pay for these added demands as well in order to accommodate the former First Lady and Secretary of State.
Hillary Clinton is adamant about her demands to travel in style. She insists on staying in the “presidential suite” of luxury hotels. Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Hillary Clinton would accept nothing less than flying in a $39 million, 16-passenger Gulfstream G450, or larger, private jet.
Clinton was also paid $225,000 for a speech she delivered at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas. At the same time, officials at the university raised the school’s tuition by 17 percent over the next four years. As a result of the increase in tuition costs, student government leaders intended to protest the former Secretary of State’s visit. They wrote a letter to Clinton requesting that she return the $225,000 fee to the university. Clinton did deliver her speech at the university.
Ironically, here is what Hillary told a crowd of close to 900 people.
“Higher education shouldn’t be a privilege for those able to afford it. It should be an opportunity widely available for anybody with the talent, determination, and ambition.”
In April, the University of Connecticut paid Clinton $251,250 from a donor fund for her to speak on their campus.
It is undetermined how personally involved Hillary Clinton is with negotiating her salary. It is common for celebrity speakers to request special arrangements and accommodations. Hillary Clinton is no exception.
[Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia]
