by ANDREW RAFFERTY, AUG 22 2016

Donald Trump on Monday continued his call to shut down the Clinton Foundation after the charitable group announced plans for how it will operate if Hillary Clinton is elected president.

"The Clintons have spent decades as insiders lining their own pockets and taking care of donors instead of the American people. It is now clear that the Clinton Foundation is the most corrupt enterprise in political history," Trump said in a statement.

Last week, the Clinton Foundation announced it would no longer accept foreign or corporate donations if the former secretary of state is elected. Bill Clinton on Monday penned an open letter on the foundation's website saying he will step down from the board and no longer raise money. The official name will also change from the "Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation" to the "Clinton Foundation."

"The process of determining the Clinton Foundation's future if Hillary becomes president has not been easy. It's an unprecedented situation, so there's no blueprint to follow," Bill Clinton wrote.

The group's ties to foreign donations have been an issue throughout Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, and Trump has used the restructuring news as an opening to go on the offensive.

[Note how Rafferty suddenly shifts gears now. The shameless defense of Hillary begins. TM]

Both candidates have business or financial dealings that would raise a number of ethical questions if elected. Though foreign contributions would end, donations from U.S. citizens to the Clinton Foundation would still come under heavy scrutiny if she were to become commander-in-chief.

Trump has business holdings around the globe, and ethics experts say it could present a big problem to have a president with financial interests in countries the U.S. has tricky relationships with. Even walling himself off from his business interests while in the White House would be unlikely to alleviate the perceived conflicts that would accompany a businessman president.

Trump has slammed the Democratic nominee for accepting donations from places with spotty human rights records and said the money should be given back.

And a recently released trove of emails obtained by the conservative group Judicial Watch showcase the sometimes questionable [?????]relationship the foundation had with the State Department while Clinton was part of the Obama administration. The documents show top Clinton Foundation officials reached out to Hillary Clinton's aides for access and help for foundation donors.

The Clinton's have responded by pointing to Trump's own business dealings and refusal to release his tax returns.

"Donald Trump needs to come clean with voters about his complex network of for-profit businesses...Trump should stop hiding behind fake excuses and release his tax returns and immediately disclose the full extent of his business interests," Clinton campaign chair John Podesta said in a statement.

[Trump has to "come clean with voters" ??? That's how this story ends? IT'S AMAZING!!! It's getting more difficult every day to carry water for the 'corrupt Hillary' and heer crime family enterprise. This article was penned on Monday, the day before the AP report came out. TM]

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-ele...ndation-n636051