An aide to Bill Clinton sought permission from the State Department in 2012 for the former president to deliver a paid speech to a group tied to the Iranian government that has been campaigning for an end to U.S. sanctions against the country.
Fox News reported:
The email from the former president’s office was sent on June 4, 2012, from an aide to Bill Clinton to three aides for then-Secretary Clinton, including Sullivan as well as State Department chief of staff Cheryl Mills. It concerned an event in the U.S. hosted by the National Iranian American Council.
"Would USG have any concerns about WJC doing a paid speech for [the] National Iranian American Council (‘NIAC’)?" Ami Desai, an aide to the former president, wrote. "We have been approached by the National Iranian American Council (‘NIAC’) for President Clinton to speak at a fundraising gala they are putting on."
Desai sent the email regarding Clinton’s potential speech engagement with the National Iranian American Council around the time then-secretary of State Hillary Clinton dispatched her top foreign policy aide to meet in secret with Iranian diplomats regarding the Tehran’s nuclear program.
The National Iranian American Council billed the event as a gala that would bring Iranian Americans to Washington, D.C., "to learn about government, meet with key policymakers and influencers and network with their fellow NIAC members."
Despite the request, Clinton ultimately did not deliver the paid remarks.
In August, it was reported that Desai also sought permission from the State Department in 2012 for former President Clinton to deliver speeches related to two repressive countries, namely North Korea and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He never delivered those, either.
Clinton, who netted more than $48 million delivering paid remarks while his wife served as secretary of state, was forced to get permission from the State Department for his speech engagements.