Clinton Foundation to Stop Accepting Foreign Donations after 'Pay to Play' Criticism

Former President Bill Clinton says the Clinton Foundation will stop accepting foreign and corporate donations if Hillary Clinton is elected president, in a move aimed to deflect "pay to play" criticism.

Donald Trump and others argue the Clinton Foundation created conflicts of interest, allowing foreign governments to buy influence when Hillary Clinton was U.S. Secretary of State.

Now the head of the Republican Party says this looks like an admission of guilt from the Clintons.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said the foundation "should immediately cease accepting foreign donations and return every penny ever taken from other countries, several of which have atrocious human rights records and ties to terrorism."

Some of the organization's funding has come from foreign donations and political donors to the Clinton family. Money accepted from countries such as Saudi Arabia drew scrutiny from both Republicans and Democrats early in Clinton's presidential bid.

Priebus said the foundation's continued acceptance of foreign donations during Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign was a "massive, ongoing conflict of interest that gets bigger by the day."

The sprawling Clinton Foundation, founded after Bill Clinton left office in 2001, has raised more than $2 billion for various initiatives.

While Hillary Clinton stepped down from its board after launching her 2016 campaign, her husband and daughter have remained in leadership roles.

Bill Clinton said the foundation would continue its work but refocus its efforts in a process that will take up to a year to complete.

A Clinton spokesman said the former president will also refrain from delivering paid speeches until the November election and will no longer give paid speeches if Hillary Clinton is elected.

Meanwhile there are possible indications the Clinton Foundation's computers were hacked.

Reuters reports some Democrats and Clinton campaign officials are concerned hackers may have gotten e-mails and voice messages.

They worry those could be used to support charges that foundation donors got special access to then Secretary Clinton.