Clinton Foundation to limit, not eliminate, foreign government donations

The Clinton Foundation will continue to accept funding from foreign governments in the wake of Hillary Clinton's decision to run for the U.S. presidency, but only from six countries that already support it, the charity said on Wednesday.

Clinton, the current favorite to become the Democratic nominee, has said the foundation's charity work is a source of pride, but it has also drawn growing criticism from political opponents and parts of the U.S. media.

Foreigners are not allowed to give money directly to presidential election campaigns, and Clinton's critics say foreign governments and entrepreneurs may instead be donating to her family's charities to curry her favor.

Additionally, some critics have pointed to the foundation's reliance on funding from several Mideast governments that suppress dissent and women's rights — concerns that the State Department focused on during Clinton's stint as secretary.

Future donations will only be allowed from the governments of Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and the United Kingdom — all nations that previously supported the charity's health, poverty and climate change programs. Longtime U.S. allies, the six maintain relatively uncontroversial ties to the U.S.

While direct contributions from other governments would be halted, those nations could continue participating in the Clinton Global Initiative, a subsidiary program that encourages donors to match contributions from others to tackle international problems without direct donations to the charity. However, the foundation will stop holding CGI meetings abroad, and most foreign governments will no longer be allowed to sponsor programs.

The foundation's board of directors also voted to publish the names of new donors more frequently — four times a year, instead of annually — according to the foundation's statement. Clinton stepped down from the board on Sunday. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, and their daughter, Chelsea Clinton, remain members.

Potential problems may still exist among some of the six governments that will be allowed to continue providing direct donations to the foundation. For examples, the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs, which has already given the foundation between $250,000 and $500,000, has pushed for the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Wire services