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By Kevin Holtsberry Posted in 2008 | Bill Clinton | Hillary Clinton | Pardongate — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Hugh Rodham has been on the campaign trail for his sister:

The brother of Senator Hillary Clinton told about 60 farmers on Thursday that he heard their concerns about dairy pricing and would bring them to the presidential candidate.

"I really appreciate what you told me today," Hugh Rodham said. "I will convey what you said in the strongest terms to my sister."

Rodham was speaking at a farm along Schoolhouse Hill Road owned by Ken and Connie Teel, during a rally organized by the Progressive Agriculture Organization.

The rally was the first stop in a bus tour by Rodham across the region in the next seven days at 18 locations, including New Milford and Towanda on Thursday.

Why is this important? Well, Hugh Rodham has a rather colorful past and one that you would think would keep him as far away from Hillary's political career as possible.

This Time magazine story gives you a flavor of the man:

1999: In what is perhaps his weirdest scheme, Hugh teams up with younger brother Tony in an enterprise to grow and export hazelnuts from the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. The $118 million venture comes to a screeching halt when Bill and Hillary discover that the brothers' business partner also happens to be the chief political rival of Georgian president Eduard Shevardnadze, a key U.S. ally. Months later, Hugh and Tony were back in the headlines — the brothers reportedly thought it might be OK if they stopped actually growing the nuts and just kept exporting them. Once again, the White House was not amused.

But Hugh wasn't done, his most infamous plot was still to come:

Former President Bill Clinton's brother-in-law Hugh Rodham received nearly $400,000 in fees for lobbying for a presidential pardon and a prison commutation for two wealthy felons, Mr. Rodham's lawyer and other officials said today.

Mr. Rodham, a brother of Hillary Rodham Clinton, was paid the money after the pardon of Almon Glenn Braswell, a businessman convicted of mail fraud and perjury in 1983, and the release from prison of Carlos Vignali, a cocaine trafficker.

The House Committee on Government Reform in its report, Justice Undone: Clemency Decisions in the Clinton White House, had this to say:

Hugh Rodham provided false and misleading information to the White House in support of the Vignali commutation.

• Hugh Rodham was paid $204,200 for his work on the Vignali commutation. It appears that, in return for this money, he worked part-time for two months gathering materials in support of Vignali’s case and making telephone calls to White House staff. It appears that Rodham’s payment in the Vignali matter was contingent upon his success, as he received the $200,000 payment on January 24, 2001, after President Clinton granted clemency to Vignali.
• Rodham repeatedly provided false information during his communications with the White House. First, and most importantly, Rodham told Bruce Lindsey that the trial attorney who prosecuted Vignali supported the commutation. This was completely false. Second, Rodham told Lindsey that Vignali was a first-time offender when, in fact, he had two prior convictions and two other arrests. Rodham also told Lindsey that Vignali “did not play a major role in the offense” when, in fact, Vignali was a major source of cocaine for the Minnesota drug-dealing ring at issue in his case.

Hugh Rodham told the White House that First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was aware of his lobbying efforts and that the Vignali commutation was “very important” to her.
• Hugh Rodham told White House staff that the Vignali commutation was “very important to him and the First Lady as well as others.” This statement is confirmed by the independent recollection of the White House staffer who spoke to Rodham as well as the note that she took contemporaneously. Rodham’s statement raises two possibilities: first, that the First Lady was aware of and approved of Hugh Rodham’s lobbying efforts; or, second, that Hugh Rodham was lying to White House staff regarding the First Lady’s knowledge of his efforts.

Ever notice how when it comes to important and successful policies in her husband's time in office Hillary was his right hand and chief adviser, but for any of the scandals or failures she knows nothing? Quite a coincidence, no?

And yet, even after this scandal Hillary has her brother out on the campaign trail acting like he is in the inner circle. I can't understand why anyone wants these people back in the White House.

For more on Hillary's bothers and her husband's scandalous last minute pardons here is a video from Sean Hannity: