According to the New York Times, Bill Clinton played a role in, and benefited from, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, a deal struck with Kazakhstan.  Apparently, Bill Clinton and a prominent Canadian financier went to a meeting in Kazakhstan.  A few days later the Canadian financier strikes a huge deal with the former soviet republic.  A few days after that, the Canadian financier makes a huge donation to Clinton’s charitable organization, over 30 million dollars.  Coinkydink…maybe.  At a press conference during Bill  Clinton’s visit, the former president made statements that were not only in contradiction U.S. Foreign policy, but also in direct contradiction of the stated position of his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton.  The Canadian financier also later made an additional contribution to Clinton’s charitable foundation of 100 million dollars.  The New York Times reports: 

In a statement Kazakhstan would highlight in news releases, Mr. Clinton declared that he hoped it would achieve a top objective: leading the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which would confer legitimacy on Mr. Nazarbayev’s government. “I think it’s time for that to happen, it’s an important step, and I’m glad you’re willing to undertake it,” Mr. Clinton said. Mr. Clinton’s praise was odd, given that the United States did not support Mr. Nazarbayev’s bid. (Late last year, Kazakhstan finally won the chance to lead the security organization for one year, despite concerns raised by the Bush administration.) Moreover, Mr. Clinton’s wife, who sits on a Congressional commission with oversight of such matters, had also voiced skepticism.Eleven months before Mr. Clinton’s statement, Mrs. Clinton co-signed a commission letter to the State Department that sounded “alarm bells” about the prospect that Kazakhstan might head the group. The letter stated that Kazakhstan’s bid “would not be acceptable,” citing “serious corruption,” canceled elections and government control of the news media. In a written statement to The Times, Mr. Clinton’s spokesman said the former president saw “no contradiction” between his statements in Kazakhstan and the position of Mrs. Clinton, who said through a spokeswoman, “Senator Clinton’s position on Kazakhstan remains unchanged.”Noting that the former president also met with opposition leaders in Almaty, Mr. Clinton’s spokesman said he was only “seeking to suggest that a commitment to political openness and to fair elections would reflect well on Kazakhstan’s efforts to chair the O.S.C.E.”But Robert Herman, who worked for the State Department in the Clinton administration and is now at Freedom House, a human rights group, said the former president’s statement amounted to an endorsement of Kazakhstan’s readiness to lead the group, a position he called “patently absurd.” “He was either going off his brief or he was sadly mistaken,” Mr. Herman said. “There was nothing in the record to suggest that they really wanted to move forward on democratic reform.”

Fast forward two years,  and it is reported that Bill Clinton had a meeting at his home with the Canadian financier and a top official of Kazakhstan’s state-owned uranium company. It is reported that the Kazakh company wanted to purchase a ten percent share in Westinghouse and was soliciting Clinton’s help.  When asked about the meeting, Bill Clinton denied that it took place.  The New York Times reports:

Both Mr. Clinton and Mr. Giustra [Canadian financier] at first denied that any such meeting occurred. Mr. Giustra also denied ever arranging for Kazakh officials to meet with Mr. Clinton. Wednesday, after The Times told them that others said a meeting, in Mr. Clinton’s home, had in fact taken place, both men acknowledged it. “You are correct that I asked the president to meet with the head of Kazatomprom,” Mr. Giustra said. “Mr. Dzhakishev asked me in February 2007 to set up a meeting with former President Clinton to discuss the future of the nuclear energy industry.” Mr. Giustra said the meeting “escaped my memory until you raised it.”Wednesday, Mr. Clinton’s spokesman, Ben Yarrow, issued what he called a “correction,” saying: “Today, Mr. Giustra told our office that in February 2007, he brought Mr. Dzhakishev from Kazatomprom to meet with President Clinton to discuss the future of nuclear energy.”Mr. Yarrow said his earlier denial was based on the former president’s records, which he said “show a Feb. 27 meeting with Mr. Giustra; no other attendees are listed.”Mr. Dzhakishev said he had a vivid memory of his Chappaqua visit, and a souvenir to prove it: a photograph of himself with the former president.“I hung up the photograph of us and people ask me if I met with Clinton and I say, Yes, I met with Clinton,” he said, smiling proudly.

 The story does not connect Hillary Clinton to any of these meetings.  However, it does make you think about how the former president will be conducting his business dealing should she land in the White House.  How would such dealings affect U.S. Foreign Policy? Would she be able to control him with everything else that a new president inherits when moving into 1600 Pennsylvania avenue?    Interesting questions…