One of the more damning subjects of the emails is correspondence between Clinton aides Doug Band and Huma Abedin, suggesting a "pay to play" apparatus in place at the Clinton Foundation for corporate interests and foreign powers.
Loud & Clear Host Brian Becker noted that the Clintons announced that their foundation will no longer accept foreign or corporate donations, if she becomes president. Becker asked Jonas whether he thinks this will help mitigate some of the fallout and "stop the bleeding."
"Nothing is going to stop the bleeding," Jonas replied, postulating that the damage has already been done to the Clinton campaign and that Republicans, lacking a coherent platform otherwise, will exploit the controversy at every opportunity. "The Clinton Foundation could shut down tomorrow, they could give back all the money and it wouldn’t matter. The Republicans could still use it to run against her."
He added that, "The Clintons should have anticipated these kinds of problems arising months ago, and I think they should’ve taken steps to tamp things down."
Becker noted that some of the foreign donations in question are made under the guise of noble causes, like funding AIDS research, but stated that, "The Saudi Royal family, the monarchs, they’re not donating tens of millions of dollars because they care so much about AIDS, they care about influence in Washington."
Jonas agreed that the Clintons exercised poor discretion, but said the facts do not indicate criminal guilt.
"The Clintons used some very bad judgement, and they’ve used bad judgment over and over…(but) but there is no evidence of corruption resulting from this bad judgement." For him, corruption would mean, "That there was a benefit to a foreign government, or even to an individual in terms of money, concluding a treaty, concluding foreign aid, appointment to a commission."
He explained that his stance on the emails should not be construed as support for the former first lady’s presidential bid.
"I am not a Hillary Clinton supporter," He said, "I think if Clinton comes in as president, she will come with a lot of problems. Some of them programmatic, and some of them personal." When asked if he thought there was enough evidence for the Clinton Foundation to face criminal prosecution, Jonas said, "absolutely not."
