The Clinton Foundation told the Daily Mail that it will not return any of the $250,000 in donation from Harvey Weinstein. The money has already been spent on the organization’s programs and used for charitable purposes, according to the statement.
Politicians and philanthropic groups are currently struggling to decide what to do with donations they have received from Weinstein in light of allegations that Weinstein sexually harassed, assaulted and raped multiple women over the course of three decades. According to the Daily Mail, over a dozen Democratic politicians have said they will give back or donate Weinstein’s campaign contributions to charity.
Hillary Clinton said last week that she would re-gift his campaign donations to charity, reports the Daily Mail. Weinstein personally contributed over $35,000 to her 2016 presidential campaign.
A spokesperson for the Clinton Foundation told The Daily Mail that the last contribution by Weinstein was made in 2014. The spokesperson said the money has been spent on programs, such as lowering the cost of HIV medication and supporting women and girls in developing countries.
Rutgers University said last week it would not return $100,000 given by Weinstein to support the school’s Gloria Steinem Chair in Media, Culture, and Feminist Studies, reports the Daily Mail. However, the University of Southern California said it would return a pledged $5 million donation from Weinstein to fund a program for female filmmakers. Neither of these gifts had been spent before the news broke about Weinstein’s alleged history of assault, harassment, and rape.
The Clinton Foundation held the Clinton Global Initiative University conference in Boston this weekend, which brought together thousands of student activists to discuss issues, including sexual assault and sustainable energy, and included speakers and panel discussions with Bill Clinton, Chelsea Clinton and Madeleine Albright.
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