CNN Debate Moderator Was Member of Clinton Global Initiative

CNN host Anderson Cooper, who is set to moderate tonight’s Democratic debate, was listed as a “notable past member” the Clinton Global Initiative’s website along with a number of other big name journalists:

The list includes: CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Christiane Amanpour, Fox’s Greta Van Susteren, NBC’s Matt Lauer and Tom Brokaw, New York Times‘s Thomas Friedman and Nicholas Kristof, Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo, Yahoo’s Katie Couric, The Economist‘s Matthew Bishop, and Financial Times‘ Lionel Barber.

The Clinton Foundation later told Mediaite that none of these journalists were asked to pay the $20,000 membership fee required of  members. However, it’s safe to say that access to big name journalists was a key selling point for paying Clinton Global Initiative members. In a nutshell, Anderson Cooper helped Hillary Clinton raise money, and now he’s presented as an impartial moderator for tonight’s debate.

The reminder comes from Stephen Miller who pointed it out on Twitter

 

 

UPDATE: Fox confirms Greta Van Susteren and Maria Bartiromo were never members of the Clinton Global Initiative.

UPDATE II: CNN has passed along this statement: “In 2007, Anderson was asked to moderate a panel by CGI as a guest. He is not a member of CGI, never has been and has had no affiliation since.”

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