Bernie Links Hillary To The Panama Tax Dodging Scandal

[imagine2015]

https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-links-clinton-panama-papers-scandal/
Press Release

Sanders Links Clinton to Panama Papers Scandal
April 7, 2016

PHILADELPHIA – Responding to Hillary Clinton’s attempt to portray him as unqualified for the White House, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders linked her to a trade pact exploited by wealthy individuals and profitable corporations to avoid paying taxes.

An investigation by a team of journalists revealed that 214,000 entities throughout the world have used a law firm in Panama to shelter their incomes and profits to avoid paying taxes. The release this week of the documents on offshore financial dealings raised questions over the widespread use of tactics to avoid taxes.

Sanders cited the former secretary of state’s support of the trade deal as one reason she should not be the party’s nominee for president. “I don’t think you are qualified if you supported the Panama free trade agreement, something I very strongly opposed, which has made it easier for wealthy people and corporations all over the world to avoid paying taxes owed to their countries,” Sanders told a rally at Temple University in an auditorium packed with nearly 13,000 supporters.

Sanders five years ago led opposition to the Panama trade deal in a Senate floor speech. He predicted that the pact would make it easier for the wealthy and the powerful to stash their cash in Panama to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.

Clinton had opposed the deal in 2008 when she was running against then Sen. Barack Obama. But in an about face, she helped push the agreement through Congress when she was secretary of state.

“The American people are sick and tired of establishment politicians who say one thing during a campaign and do the exact opposite the day after the election,” Sanders said on Tuesday in a prepared statement. As president, Sanders said he would terminate the trade deal and investigate U.S. banks, corporations and wealthy individuals who have been stashing their cash in Panama to avoid taxes.

Sanders came to Pennsylvania fresh off a win Tuesday in Wisconsin, his seventh victory in the past eight caucuses and primaries. A new national poll release Wednesday put him ahead of Clinton by two points and also showed him ahead of Republican front-runner Donald Trump.

Clinton earlier on Wednesday questioned Sanders’ qualifications to be president. “Secretary Clinton appears to be getting a little nervous,” he shot back. “She has been saying lately that I am not qualified to be president.”

Sanders then ticked off his own list of reasons why Clinton isn’t qualified to be in the White House.

“I don’t believe that she is qualified if she is through her super PAC taking tens of millions of dollars in special-interest funds.

“I don’t think that you are qualified if you get $15 million from Wall Street through your super PAC.

“I don’t think you are qualified if you voted for the disastrous war in Iraq.

“I don’t think you’re qualified if you supported almost every disastrous trade agreement.

“I don’t think you are qualified if you supported the Panama free trade agreement, something I very strongly opposed, which has gave the green light to wealthy people and corporations all over the world to avoid paying taxes owed to their countries.”

https://berniesanders.com/press-release/sanders-links-clinton-panama-papers-scandal/

[guillaumeb]

1. But HRC has so much "experience".

And money.

[Jackilope]

2. Experience in poor judgement. Easier to say "My bad...."

.. than offend the oligarchy.

Or... "Evolving" means never having to say you are sorry.

[Waiting For Everyman]

3. Oopsie daisy.

I bet she didn't expect having to defend that in this election.

Now she's got emails AND Panama to keep covered up. Dicey. That's gonna blow up in her face real soon.

Aww. Sorry, not sorry.

[7worldtrade]

4. Repeat a lie to further an obfuscation - genius!

Bernie repeats the lie that Clinton said he was not qualified to be potus, then pivots to use obfuscation and innuendo to falsely link her to the Panama Papers. Also has a press conference where he says he doesn't want to engage in personal attacks. Genius move! For a supposed newbie to gutter politics he certainly appears to be learning fast.

[pdsimdars]

6. Hmmmm.

Sure looks like that "is" is kind of word parsing.
I think most people call a spade a spade.

[kennetha]

5. Bernie is becoming an outright liar and cheap demagogue

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/4/7/1511855/-On-Panama-Sanders-Is-Wrong-but-was-once-kinda-right

Making matters worse for Americans wanting to store their ill-gotten gains offshore, the 2010 United States—Panama Trade Promotion Agreement included a taxation clause that effectively shut down any chance of the rich in the US using Panama as a shelter.

The Tax Information Exchange Agreement includes a clause, Article 5, that specifies the terms of information sharing between the two countries on tax related matters:

The competent authority of the requested Party shall provide upon request by the competent authority of the requesting Party information for the purposes referred to in Article 1 of this Agreement. Such information shall be exchanged without regard to whether the requested Party needs such information for its own tax purposes or the conduct being investigated would constitute a crime under the laws of the requested Party if it had occurred in the territory of the requested Party.


The Article goes on to make clear that Mossack Fonseca’s type of services would particularly be included in the information request:

Each Party shall ensure that it has the authority, for the purposes referred to in Article 1 of this Agreement and subject to Article 2 of this Agreement, to obtain and provide, through its competent authority and upon request:

(a) information held by banks, other financial institutions, and any person, including nominees and trustees, acting in an agency or fiduciary capacity; and

(b) information regarding the ownership of companies, partnerships, trusts, foundations, and other persons, including…. ownership information on all such persons in an ownership chain; in the case of trusts, information on settlors, trustees and beneficiaries; and in the case of foundations, information on founders, members of the foundation council and beneficiaries.


If Panama had ever been an attractive destination for American offshore storage of funds, this agreement shut the door on that possibility.

[CentralCoaster]

7. Hillary Clinton is Uniquely Unqualified, or Disqualified by her actions.

Either way, not qualified.

[Skink]

8. Bernie is playing hardball

I can't wait for this debate.

[felix_numinous]

9. 32 Trillion dollars left the country

now who votes FOR the robbery to continue?