A prominent Clinton Foundation donor who faced corruption allegations in Bangladesh received $13 million from a State Department-linked U.S. agency during Hillary Clinton’s tenure, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported this week.
Mohammad Yunus, known as the pioneer of charitable microfinancing, reportedly received at least 18 grants, loans, and contracts from USAID, a federal agency that operates under guidance from the State Department, while Clinton was secretary of state.
Yunus contributed between $100,000 and $300,000 to the Clinton Foundation:
The awards, totaling $13 million, were issued by the U.S. Agency for International Development, the development arm of the State Department, beginning when Clinton became secretary of state. Another $11 million in federal funds went to organizations allied with Yunus.
When asked to explain the Yunus grants and loans, USAID Spokesman Raphael Cook said the agency didn’t have the "manpower" to respond to questions about the transactions.
According to the Daily Caller, the funding went to several of Yunus's charities. In 2011, Yunus was removed as head of Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, amid accusations of corruption. He was cleared of misappropriating millions in Norwegian charitable funds after a Bangladesh investigation in 2011.