Why would a business pay Hillary Clinton $315,000 for a 20 minute speech?

[Skwmom]

More than a quarter of a million dollars for a 20 minute speech? Really? I just don't see how this is a prudent business decision.

From the Washington Post

In one of her last gigs on the paid lecture circuit, Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed an eBay summit aimed at promoting women in the workplace, delivering a 20-minute talk that garnered her a $315,000 payday from the company.

Less than two months later, Clinton was feted at the San Francisco Bay-area home of eBay chief executive John Donahoe and his wife, Eileen, for one of the first fundraisers supporting Clinton’s newly announced presidential campaign.

The two events spotlight the unusually close financial ties between Clinton and a broad array of industries that have issues before the government and paid millions of dollars to her and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, in the months preceding the launch of her presidential campaign.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/hillary-clinton-was-paid-millions-by-tech-industry-for-speeches/2015/05/18/f149d598-fd86-11e4-805c-c3f407e5a9e9_story.html

Note: According to the IRS for a business expense to be deductible it must be ordinary and necessary. So exactly how is it necessary for a business to pay $315,000 for a 20 minute speech? As one of the voters in the 99% category, I'm just so confused....

As a poster pointed out below (thank you) to be necessary it has to be helpful. So how was it helpful to pay over a quarter of a million dollars for a 20 minute speech?

[reddread]

1. its only money

Oh, by the way, they might be able to use a few more H1B holders...

[DURHAM D]

2. Groundhog Day?

[reddread]

3. wasnt ebay the producer of Meg Whitman?

[oasis]

5. Low on e-mail ammo perhaps. But she gave a million dollar presentation

On "the Deal" Wednesday.

Hillary's a big draw. Sure, she's worth every penny she made on the circuit.

[mccallen]

4. Hillary did NOT get paid!!

It was ALL for charity!

[Skwmom]

8. Here you go.

http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/jun/16/occupy-democrats/liberal-group-claims-all-hillary-clintons-speaking/

[PoliticAverse]

6. From the IRS standpoint "necessary" is equivalent to "helpful" for your business.

From: http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Deducting-Business-Expenses

What Can I Deduct?

To be deductible, a business expense must be both ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your trade or business. A necessary expense is one that is helpful and appropriate for your trade or business. An expense does not have to be indispensable to be considered necessary.

[Skwmom]

9. Hmmm. wonder what "help" they were expected to get for their business... n/t

[MannyGoldstein]

7. LOL. nt

[Armstead]

10. Because Louis CK wasn't available?

[Bluenorthwest]

37. Louis CK's minimum for a corporate or private gig ranges from 500K to one million dollars depending

on logistics and size of venue as well as depth of pocket book.

[Armstead]

40. Nice work if you can get it

[arikara]

11. Nobody's worth that.

Do they all own her then, like Donald Trump? Remember he said he made a donation to her so he could get her to do what he wanted. He said he told her to come to his wedding and she did.

Something really stinks.

[leftynyc]

19. So now we believe Trump?

They've already asked Hillary why she went - she said she was invited (as all powerful NYers were - she was our senator at the time) and she thought it would be fun. As for this - companies pay speakers who they think will fill up their room. It's really pretty simple but leave it to DUers to find something nefarious in such a common practice. $300K is chicken feed and it's written off as a business expense.

[Fawke Em]

12. If they really wanted to promote women in the workplace, wouldn't using that

$315,000 to give the women at ebay a raise be more in keeping with the goal of the meeting?

[rhett o rick]

13. It's corrupt politics as usual. We need change. We need to get the corruption

out of politics. Clinton has made millions from politics. She is part of the problem.

Cut the billionaires and their puppets out of politics. Support the people's candidate Sen Sanders.

[Hoyt]

14. To make for an exciting meeting and/or draw attendees. They don't want a boring hasbeen if they

can afford someone better.

[Juicy_Bellows]

15. They could get just about anyone for that kind of cash.

So why did they settle for the boring has been?

Sorry, that was low and slow, right over the plate.

[Hoyt]

22. Like who, with 8 years in White House, a Senator, SS, maybe next Prez?

[Juicy_Bellows]

16. Quid pro quo Clarice!

[hifiguy]

45. That was gooooooood, Clarice.

Was that one of yours?

[Smarmie Doofus]

17. Now I think you know the answer to that question.

The more troubling question is: why do so many people WITHIN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY pretend to see nothing wrong with this behavior and defend a system that keeps reproducing it?

[Skwmom]

30. Oh, people are talking about your question.

Even lifelong Democrats that have went to the polls year after year and voted a straight Democratic ticket.

The Democratic establishment obviously finds nothing wrong with how the Clintons conduct "business."

The people endorsing Hillary Clinton obviously have no problem with how the Clintons conduct "business."

The Clinton surrogates obviously have no problem with how the Clintons conduct "business."

The hacks that write smear pieces for the Clintons (I won't call them journalists b/c the concept of journalistic integrity eludes them) obviously have no problem with the way the Clintons do business.

[McCamy Taylor]

18. Most admired woman in the US for like 12 years. That's how.

[Recursion]

20. Buzz. It's not difficult.

Hillary Clinton is a huge name. Getting her to speak at your business summit attracts investors and clients.

Imagine it were not Hillary Clinton but rather Ronda Rousey or Serena Williams or Miley Cyrus. Getting any of those would be a coup.

[Buns_of_Fire]

21. It's not a "speech" to the people with the bucks. It's an "investment".

"Someday, and that day may never come, I may call upon you to perform some small service for me..." ~Don Vito Corleone (paraphrased)

[Divernan]

27. Both Clintons always give good quid for their pro quos.

[Skwmom]

31. Investment? The word I'm hearing begins with a consonant that comes before "i" in the alphabet.

Let's refer to it as the "unspoken" word. The word that no one dares to speak (well at least on line that is).

I'm simply shocked that voters with a limited 1,200 word vocabulary (as one "smart" poster pointed out) are even aware of this "unspoken" word? Of course, with their limited vocabularies, maybe that's why they are using that word.

[leftofcool]

23. And you care because?

[RiverLover]

25. I care because every problem this country has can be traced to our govt being controlled

by the Moneyed Interests that purchase the representatives who are supposed to represent US, but legislate only for their Big Money sponsors.

[Scuba]

32. Smackdown!

[hifiguy]

44. Boom.

[CanadaexPat]

24. It's not illegal and Republicans do it too!

So there!

[cantbeserious]

26. No Need To Ask The Question - We Already Know The Answer

eom

[Vinca]

28. It's the market. If someone is willing to pay it, someone is willing to deliver.

Sadly, they'd probably only offer me $3.15. The bottom line is the world of the megawealthy is not like the world we commoners live in.

[cantbeserious]

29. No Need To Ask The Question - We Already Know The Answer

eom

[Scuba]

33. Yeah, but there's no quid pro quo. Honest!

[youceyec]

34. is this DU

or SexismUnderground?

[hifiguy]

43. You funny.

Enjoy your stay.

[HereSince1628]

35. Perhaps because a speaker's fee is deductible,

and technically bribery isn't?

[tk2kewl]

36. it would take more than 20 years to earn that much at $7.25/hr

20 years... 20 minutes... who's counting anyway?

[stevenleser]

38. Same reason some famous sports figures and actors get that kind of money. Their name is worth it

for the draw.

[tk2kewl]

41. wasn't always that way...

I remember have MLB athletes show up at my little league dinners as a kid.

Money trumps all these days... sad

[99Forever]

39. There was a time when....

....the leadership of the Democratic Party would have called this what it is and stood against it.


We USED to have moral and ethical leadership.

Vote Sanders and help it return.

[hifiguy]

42. Take a wild guess.

She also made $400,000 speaking to Goldman Sachs. Somehow I don't think she was telling the vampire squid anything that made it uncomfortable in the slightest.

"Here's the problem: You and I, most of the people we know, there's no way in hell we can afford to have Clinton come speak and spend time with us," McGehee says. "This speaking engagement game is a game that favors the wealthy interests, just like our campaign finance system." (emphasis added)

Much more at: Hillary Clinton's Speaking Circuit Payday: $5 Million (and Counting) http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2014/05/hillary-clinton-goldman-sachs-private-equity-white-house-2016