Clinton Foundation Seeks Intern With ‘Discretion’ — and the Internet Can’t Stop Laughing

Of all the qualifications a nonprofit could ask of its interns, the Clinton Foundation has landed on one that reads less like a job requirement and more like a punchline: “a high level of professionalism and discretion.”The unpaid internship, posted on DayBook, is with Hillary Clinton’s office on Madison Avenue in New York City. On paper, the role is unremarkable. Interns would help staff with research, draft briefing memos, transcribe speeches, manage mail, maintain archives, and provide logistical support at events. The desired skills — strong writing, good communication, a solid work ethic, and the ability to collaborate — are equally routine.Then there’s that word. “Discretion.” Attached to almost any other employer, it would vanish into the fine print. Attached to the Clinton name, it lit up social media.Much of the mockery centered on a pointed detail: the internship is with Hillary’s office, not her husband’s. That distinction was not lost on online commentators, who were quick to connect it to former President Bill Clinton’s own history with a White House intern.But Bill’s office at the foundation is hiring too, though for a paid role: a “Special Projects Associate” tasked with drafting agendas, editing briefs, and coordinating between his office and the foundation. The salary — $50,000 to $55,000 — drew its own criticism, given the foundation’s endowment of at least $300 million and the Clintons’ vocal support for a “living wage.” The Bureau of Economic Analysis pegs the average cost of living for a single person in New York City at $66,426.It’s worth noting the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation has net assets of approximately $305 million, according to its most recently processed IRS Form 990 filings available in 2024.Its CEO made $361,000 that year.The internet had a field day. On the internship being unpaid — and the job offering no benefits — one wag on X wrote, “I bet the intern won’t swallow that.”Another pondered whether the intern “must wear a blue dress to work and perform in all positions.” Still another went further, saying the new intern “must sign a pledge that any form of sexual harassment by the Clintons is not sexual harassment.”And one talked about the lack of pay for Hillary’s intern and the pathetic income for Bill’s “associate.” “These two are a scream. Her: unpaid intern in NYC. Him: staff asst. at $50K in NYC. Cheapskates! Their foundation is sitting on $300M+, and they advertised for a freebie and a $50K job — dear Lord, a barista, gas station attendant, janitor, or parking attendant pays more!”The ribald jokes trace back to the mid-1990s, when Bill Clinton — then in his late 40s — carried on an affair with Monica Lewinsky, a White House intern who was 22 at the time, less than half his age. Ms. Lewinsky confided the relationship to a coworker, who secretly recorded the calls. Independent Counsel Kenneth Starr later obtained a blue dress Ms. Lewinsky had worn during one encounter; DNA evidence tied it to the president.Pressed before a grand jury about earlier denials, Mr. Clinton delivered the line that has haunted him since: “It depends on what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.” He was ultimately impeached on perjury and obstruction charges, then acquitted, and publicly admitted to lying about the affair and apologized to Hillary.The Foundation was also mired in scandal after reports emerged that it accepted millions from foreign governments while Hillary Clinton served as secretary of state. An ethics agreement she signed in 2009 allowed existing foreign funding to continue, but new donors and major increases required advance clearance from State Department ethics officials.In several cases, that clearance never happened. Algeria gave $500,000 for Haiti earthquake relief in 2010, and Switzerland contributed $340,000 for AIDS programs in 2011 and 2012, both without approval. Foundation officials at the time said those were “oversights.”

Clinton Foundation Seeks Intern With ‘Discretion’ — and the Internet Can’t Stop Laughing

Clinton Foundation Seeks Intern With ‘Discretion’ — and the Internet Can’t Stop Laughing

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