President Bill Clinton and Vladimir Putin in Moscow in 2010
By Charles Tyrrell
UPDATED - Originally published August 6, 2016
UPDATED - Originally published August 6, 2016
The story of Uranium One began in 2005 in Kazakhstan and lead to the Russian atomic energy agency, Rosatom, taking over uranium-mining stakes stretching from Central Asia to the American West in a $1.3 billion deal. As the Russians gradually assumed control of Uranium One in three separate transactions from 2009 to 2013, nearly $34 million flowed to the Clinton Foundation.[1]
The major players included former U.S. President Bill Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Clinton's Canadian friend, mining financier Frank Giustra and his old friend, Ian Telfer, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Bill Clinton accompanied Frank Giustra aboard Mr. Giustra’s private jet to Almaty, Kazakhstan, where they dined with President Nursultan A. Nazarbayev, a meeting made possible by the influence of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Two days after the visit, Mr. Giustra’s company, UrAsia, signed a deal acquiring three Kazakhstan uranium mines, among the most productive uranium mines in the world. Following the deal, Giustra’s new company, UrAsia, was considered one of Canada’s hottest new mining ventures.
With its success, Uranium One began gobbling up companies in the United States, including a uranium mill in Utah and more than 38,000 acres of uranium properties in Wyoming, Texas and Utah. That deal gave Uranium One the potential to become a powerhouse in the United States uranium industry and the domestic supplier of choice among U.S. utilities.
By 2009 however, a subsidiary of the Russian atomic energy agency, Rosatom, gained a 17 percent ownership share in Uranium One. After the Russians announced their intention to acquire a majority stake in Uranium One, Bill Clinton was paid $500,000 for a Kremlin speech from a Russian investment bank, with links to Putin, that was promoting Uranium One stock. The Russians gradually assumed control of Uranium One in three separate transactions from 2009 to 2013.
Hillary Clinton's aides denied she personally intervened in the approval process and said she showed no favoritism toward foundation donors.
The Clinton Foundation's records show that Ian Telfer, Chairman of Uranium One, made a donation of $250,000 in 2007 during the time Uranium One was being bought by Rosatom. However, Canadian records show the actual amount was more like $2.35 million. Those contributions were not publicly disclosed by the Clintons, despite an agreement Mrs. Clinton had struck with the Obama White House to publicly identify all donors.
Read the stories
[1] Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal - NY Times' Story
[2] A luxury jet and their $100 million donor - Washington Post's Story
The major players included former U.S. President Bill Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the Clinton's Canadian friend, mining financier Frank Giustra and his old friend, Ian Telfer, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
ARRANGING THE DEAL
Frank Giustra, a gold mining financier, was about to make his first big uranium deal with the help of Bill and Hillary Clinton. Guistra is a member of the board of trustees of the Clinton Foundation. He met Bill Clinton at a charity fundraiser and had provided his corporate jet for Clinton's fundraising campaign in Africa. Clinton would later borrow Giustra's jet 26 times for Foundation business.Bill Clinton accompanied Frank Giustra aboard Mr. Giustra’s private jet to Almaty, Kazakhstan, where they dined with President Nursultan A. Nazarbayev, a meeting made possible by the influence of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Two days after the visit, Mr. Giustra’s company, UrAsia, signed a deal acquiring three Kazakhstan uranium mines, among the most productive uranium mines in the world. Following the deal, Giustra’s new company, UrAsia, was considered one of Canada’s hottest new mining ventures.
THE $3.1 BILLION SALE & $500,000 FOR BILL CLINTON
In 2007, Frank Giustra sold UrAsia to a company called Uranium One for $3.1 billion. Uranium One, a South African company with uranium assets in Africa and Australia, was chaired by an old friend, Ian Telfer.With its success, Uranium One began gobbling up companies in the United States, including a uranium mill in Utah and more than 38,000 acres of uranium properties in Wyoming, Texas and Utah. That deal gave Uranium One the potential to become a powerhouse in the United States uranium industry and the domestic supplier of choice among U.S. utilities.
By 2009 however, a subsidiary of the Russian atomic energy agency, Rosatom, gained a 17 percent ownership share in Uranium One. After the Russians announced their intention to acquire a majority stake in Uranium One, Bill Clinton was paid $500,000 for a Kremlin speech from a Russian investment bank, with links to Putin, that was promoting Uranium One stock. The Russians gradually assumed control of Uranium One in three separate transactions from 2009 to 2013.
RUSSIA, U.S. URANIUM MINES, & HILLARY CLINTON
The sale gave the Russians control of uranium deposits around the world, including one-fifth of all uranium production capacity in the United States. Since uranium is considered a strategic asset, with implications for national security, the deal had to be approved by a committee composed of representatives from a number of United States government agencies. Among the agencies that eventually signed off was the State Department, then headed by Mr. Clinton’s wife, Hillary Rodham Clinton.Hillary Clinton's aides denied she personally intervened in the approval process and said she showed no favoritism toward foundation donors.
HOW $34 MILLION REACHED THE CLINTONS
Several months after Frank Giustra's deal with Kazakhstan's iron-fisted president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, the Clinton Foundation received a $31.3 million donation from Giustra that remained secret until it is discovered by reporters in 2008. Both Clinton and Giustra will later claim that this chain of events was merely coincidentalThe Clinton Foundation's records show that Ian Telfer, Chairman of Uranium One, made a donation of $250,000 in 2007 during the time Uranium One was being bought by Rosatom. However, Canadian records show the actual amount was more like $2.35 million. Those contributions were not publicly disclosed by the Clintons, despite an agreement Mrs. Clinton had struck with the Obama White House to publicly identify all donors.
Read the stories
[1] Cash Flowed to Clinton Foundation Amid Russian Uranium Deal - NY Times' Story
[2] A luxury jet and their $100 million donor - Washington Post's Story
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