Posted on Jul 9, 2015
Does this bother you? Report: George W. Bush charged $100,000 to speak at fundraiser for wounded vets
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According to its website, the charity, Helping a Hero, helps to provide "specially-adapted homes" for wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to help "reintegrate them into their community."
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Former President George W. Bush charged $100,000 to speak at a 2012 charity fundraiser for U.S. military veterans severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, ABC News reported Wednesday.
The report also said former first lady Laura Bush collected $50,000 to appear a year earlier.
Speaking and traveling fees for the former president were paid by the charity, but the amount was underwritten by a private donor, the charity's lawyer told ABC News.
According to its website, the charity, Helping a Hero, helps to provide "specially-adapted homes" for wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to help "reintegrate them into their community."
Former Marine Eddie Wright served on the charity's board and criticized the president's fee to "speak on behalf of men and women he ordered into harm's way."
"You sent me to war," Wright told ABC News. "I was doing what you told me to do, gladly for you and our country and I have no regrets. But it's kind of a slap in the face."
The former Marine lost both hands in a rocket attack in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004.
The report also mentioned that the former president was provided with a private jet to travel to the Houston-based charity at a cost of $20,000, the officials said.
According to ABC, the charity said the total expenditure was justified because the former president and first lady offered discounted fees and helped raise record amounts in contributions at galas held in 2011 and 2012. Bush discounted his usual fee of $250,000, the charity told ABC News.
Politico has reported that since 2009, Bush's fees have typically ranged from $100,000 to $175,000 per appearance.
"We are proud that President Bush attended the 2012 Helping A Hero Gala," the charity posted to Facebook on Wednesday. "His presence helped us raise an unprecedented amount of funds to build specially adapted homes for wounded heroes."
According to the charity's yearly reports to the IRS, it raised about $2,450,000, after expenses, from the 2012 gala where Bush spoke, ABC News reported. The report said the following year, the gala netted the charity substantially less, about $1,000,000.
A spokesperson for Bush confirmed the payment to ABC News, but declined to comment on the criticism.
Bush has made veterans' well-being and their re-entry into society one of his top post-presidency priorities. The Dallas-based Bush Institute hosts annual golf tournaments and bike rides for wounded veterans.
http://www.stripes.com/news/special-reports/wounded-warriors/report-george-w-bush-charged-100-000-to-speak-at-fundraiser-for-wounded-vets-1.357089
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Former President George W. Bush charged $100,000 to speak at a 2012 charity fundraiser for U.S. military veterans severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, ABC News reported Wednesday.
The report also said former first lady Laura Bush collected $50,000 to appear a year earlier.
Speaking and traveling fees for the former president were paid by the charity, but the amount was underwritten by a private donor, the charity's lawyer told ABC News.
According to its website, the charity, Helping a Hero, helps to provide "specially-adapted homes" for wounded veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan to help "reintegrate them into their community."
Former Marine Eddie Wright served on the charity's board and criticized the president's fee to "speak on behalf of men and women he ordered into harm's way."
"You sent me to war," Wright told ABC News. "I was doing what you told me to do, gladly for you and our country and I have no regrets. But it's kind of a slap in the face."
The former Marine lost both hands in a rocket attack in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004.
The report also mentioned that the former president was provided with a private jet to travel to the Houston-based charity at a cost of $20,000, the officials said.
According to ABC, the charity said the total expenditure was justified because the former president and first lady offered discounted fees and helped raise record amounts in contributions at galas held in 2011 and 2012. Bush discounted his usual fee of $250,000, the charity told ABC News.
Politico has reported that since 2009, Bush's fees have typically ranged from $100,000 to $175,000 per appearance.
"We are proud that President Bush attended the 2012 Helping A Hero Gala," the charity posted to Facebook on Wednesday. "His presence helped us raise an unprecedented amount of funds to build specially adapted homes for wounded heroes."
According to the charity's yearly reports to the IRS, it raised about $2,450,000, after expenses, from the 2012 gala where Bush spoke, ABC News reported. The report said the following year, the gala netted the charity substantially less, about $1,000,000.
A spokesperson for Bush confirmed the payment to ABC News, but declined to comment on the criticism.
Bush has made veterans' well-being and their re-entry into society one of his top post-presidency priorities. The Dallas-based Bush Institute hosts annual golf tournaments and bike rides for wounded veterans.
http://www.stripes.com/news/special-reports/wounded-warriors/report-george-w-bush-charged-100-000-to-speak-at-fundraiser-for-wounded-vets-1.357089
Posted in these groups: Daughters of Charity Health System
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 21
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Speaker fees are nothing new, especially for people with "premiums" on their limited time.
Based on the article, it did sound like President Bush did discount the engagement dramatically, but keep in mind not all that money goes directly to him. He's got "overhead" in staff, charities, taxes, etc as well.
In essence, the organization paid him based on Free Market principles. I can't fault the President on this.
Based on the article, it did sound like President Bush did discount the engagement dramatically, but keep in mind not all that money goes directly to him. He's got "overhead" in staff, charities, taxes, etc as well.
In essence, the organization paid him based on Free Market principles. I can't fault the President on this.
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SGT Ben Keen
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS - You took the exact words out of my mouth! While it is a little sticky for the guy that asked the men and women than benefit from this organization to ask that organization to pay him to speak, he does have overhead that he needs to cover. Those of us that engage in formal public speaking are not just out there doing this type of thing for fun. A lot of work goes into speaking. While I'm no where near the same class of speaker as a former President, I do take a lot of my time to prepare to speak. Granted, the person that proof reads and edits my speeches does so in exchange for drinks or something, there may be the day where I'm in a position to actually pay those that help me. There is also travel and other expenses.
Can I fault G.W. for doing so? No, not really but I'm sure there will be a lot of interesting coverage of this.
Can I fault G.W. for doing so? No, not really but I'm sure there will be a lot of interesting coverage of this.
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Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS
SGT Ben Keen (to expand) As long as the President didn't approach them about doing a speaking engagement, I see nothing wrong with the arrangement. If he had approached them, it becomes a completely different story.
At a guess, it looks like the President discounted it to "cost" (or near).
At a guess, it looks like the President discounted it to "cost" (or near).
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SGT Ben Keen
Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS - Yeah there is a huge difference between being asking to do and asking to do.
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SPC Jan Allbright, M.Sc., R.S. Nothing new about former President's charging fees for speeches! Take a look at all of the last (10) Presidents and what they charged. A lot of it is paid by private donors and fundraising organization that result in a lot more contributions than the amount they paid for the President. American Capitalism at its best. Get use to it, Obama will do the same thing and it will go on and on! Why are they just publishing the story now on 2015? Maybe a little more mud slinging for Jeb in the 2016 race for President! What's the underlying purpose?
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I am pretty certain there is a "Rest of the Story" to this story. President Bush donates a lot of his time to taking care of the troops and believe that he either donated the funds back to the organization or rolled the funds into another worthwhile event.
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