Fact checking and the Clinton Foundation

I respect that fact-checking is time-consuming.

Sadly, it is tempting for many of us to just repeat what we read online or hear on a news channel. However, if we simply accept what we hear as accurate we do ourselves and our country a tremendous disservice.

Prior to the presidential election, please take the time to seek out unbiased fact checking websites such as factcheck.org or politifact.com. Here you will find detailed references and specific information on many of the current presidential topics.

For example, a recent letter to the editor claimed that the Clinton Foundation utilizes only a small fraction of its funds for charity work. This is a false statement and can be verified as false by many independent organizations whose sole purpose is to monitor the activities of nonprofits.

Daniel Borochoff, founder of CharityWatch, states that its analysis of the finances of the Clinton Foundation and its affiliates found that about 89 percent of the foundation budget is spent on charitable work, higher than the 75 percent considered the industry standard.

The Clinton Foundation is a public charity which actually performs charitable work. It has over 2,000 employees worldwide who work in Third World countries to help improve the quality of lives of those who live in poverty.

The valuable work that they do to help those less fortunate is why both Democrats and Republicans have contributed to the foundation.

In addition to its own charity work, the foundation also donates a smaller amount of money to other charities. This smaller amount given to other charities is just one part of the all the charitable work done by the foundation.

Please, remember that anyone can say anything and lies can be repeated over and over again by those who do not take the time to fact-check.

Susan Pribyl

Ingleside