Hillary's $2,777 PER MINUTE speaking contracts shut out reporters, limit picture-taking, demand a 'presidential' teleprompter and let her cancel 'for any reason whatsoever' | Mail Online
Hillary's $2,777 PER MINUTE speaking contracts demand a 'presidential' teleprompter, let her cancel 'for any reason whatsoever' and she's the only one allowed on stage
•Speaking contracts covered August 2013 speech at SUNY Buffalo and upcoming August 2014 appearance at University of Nevada, Las Vegas
•The two events together pulled in $500,000 for the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation – but reporters were shut out
•Angry UNLV students have asked Clinton to return her speaking fee since their tuition has tripled in the last decade
•One contract demanded a 'presidential' teleprompter; another one required a $1,250 stenographer; both insist that only a hand-picked moderator – never audience members – can ask her questions
•At an event that drew 6,500 people, Clinton allowed a photographer to take just 50 photos of her with VIP well-wishers
Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who is preparing to run for president on a populist platform of fighting income inequality, demanded $2,777 per minute for two university speaking engagements and insisted on contracts that cut off reporters' access to her and limited the number of photos she would take with well-wishers.
The Harry Walker Agency drew up legal agreements for Clinton's speeches at the State University of New York at Buffalo in August 2013 and at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas next month.
Combined, the two gigs netted the Clintons' family foundation $500,000 for three hours' work, and allowed her to cancel or reschedule the events 'for any reason whatsoever.'
The once-and-maybe-future White House resident is routinely granted iron-grip control over the
circumstances surrounding her speeches.
SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE CONTRACTS
Prickly: Hillary Clinton's image-control is in top gear, with her speaking agents making a laundry list of diva demands
Pacing: Hillary's contract forbids anyone else to be on stage when she talks to her audience
Both contracts, one published online by The Washington Post and the other by The Daily Caller, paint a picture of a control-freak PR machine surrounding Hillary.
Her 'participation at the event including the speech and reception will be closed to the press, unless otherwise agreed to in writing,' the UNLV contract reads
'There will be no other media opportunities or availabilities (i.e.. press conferences, statements. etc.).'
The Buffalo appearance earned Clinton $275,000 for an hour on stage and a 30-minute photo line – limited to 50 photos of her alongside no more than 100 people.
UNLV will pay her another $225,000 for a similar 90-minute commitment, although angry students there have asked her to refund her fees since their tuition has nearly tripled since a decade ago
Both schools had to agree to her prickly list of demands before her agent would sign on the dotted line.
The contracts they signed insist that Hillary must be 'the only person on stage during her remarks.'
The Buffalo paperwork specifically demands a 'presidential glass panel teleprompter,' although video of that speech shows she strayed from the podium and didn't use it.
Hillary has the exclusive right to approve 'sets, backdrops, banners, scenery, logos, [and] settings' connected to her speeches, and gives her 'sole discretion' over what she talks about in public.
She 'may elect to reschedule or cancel her appearance ... for any reason whatsoever and at any time prior to the engagement
She gets 20 complimentary VIP tickets and a university-paid stenographer – at a price of $1,000 in Buffalo and $1,250 in Las Vegas – just for her personal records.
And her speaking agency can veto any potential Q-and-A moderators, and only those moderators – never members of the audience – can talk to her directly.
One audience member in Buffalo didn't get that memo, the Buffalo News reported in August 2013.
'A heckler tried to interrupt Clinton,' the paper reported, 'screaming about the terrorist murders of American diplomats in Benghazi, Libya, in September 2012.'
'Clinton simply talked over him, and then took him down, saying solving problems "doesn't involve yelling; it includes sitting down and talking".'
The public college, officially named the University at Buffalo, released a statement on Wednesday that said 'no state funding or student tuition revenue is used to fund the Distinguished Speakers Series and the fees of guest speakers, including that of Secretary Clinton.'
'The speaking fee and all other appearance costs are financed entirely through ticket sales, sponsorships and endowments.'
Hillary Clinton Speaking Contract - SUNY Buffalo and UNLV
