Clinton Foundation Accepted Millions From Foreign Governments While Hillary Clinton Was Secretary Of State: Report

The Clinton Foundation accepted millions of dollars in donations from foreign governments while Hillary Clinton was Secretary of State, including at least one donation that broke the charity's ethics agreement with the White House, according to a Washington Post report.

According to the Post, the foundation accepted a $500,000 donation from the Algerian government during Clinton's term as Secretary of State. Foundation officials told the paper on Wednesday that they should have obtained approval from the State Department's ethics office before accepting the donation. In addition to the Algerian donation, the governments of countries including Australia, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar all donated to the foundation during Clinton's tenure as the U.S.' foremost diplomat.

"Immediately following the devastating earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010, the Embassy of Algeria made an unsolicited donation of $500K to Clinton Foundation Haiti Relief fund. As the Clinton Foundation did with all donations it received for earthquake relief, the entire amount of Algeria's contribution was distributed as aid in Haiti," a statement from the foundation, cited by Business Insider, said.

"This donation was disclosed publicly on our website, however, the State Department should have also been formally informed. This was a one-time, specific donation to help Haiti and Algeria had not donated to the Clinton Foundation before and has not since," it added.

The foundation decided to refuse donations from foreign governments during Hillary Clinton's time as Secretary of State in order to address concerns in President Barack Obama's administration that such donations raised an ethical dilemma, according to The Hill. The foundation, however, negotiated exemptions to this rule to allow governments that had donated before Clinton took charge at the state department to continue doing so, the Post reported.

Clinton, who is widely predicted to be the Democratic candidate for the presidency in 2016, has faced increasing scrutiny for her, and the foundation's, ties to corporate and foreign governmental interests in recent weeks.

A Wall Street Journal report alleged that Clinton pressured foreign governments to sign deals with U.S. companies that had donated to the foundation, including General Electric, Exxon Mobil, Microsoft and Boeing.

The foundation announced last week that it would reconsider its policy of accepting donations from foreign governments if Hillary Clinton formally announces her candidacy for the presidency, Politico reported.