Today, the Republican National Committee rehashed an already-discredited line of attack against Hillary Clinton and her record of leadership at the State Department fighting Boko Haram in Nigeria. Unfortunately for the RNC, there is a candidate running in 2012 with an actual Nigeria problem, and he’s not a Democrat—his name is Jeb Bush.
Perhaps the RNC is unaware of Jeb’s shady business dealings in Nigeria, but we’re glad to help inform them. In the future, they should make sure their own house is in order before launching such patently false attacks.
Jeb Bush’s Shady Business in Nigeria
Jeb Bush leveraged his fame into a 50 percent stake in a business that marketed water pumps overseas
- Jeb Bush was offered “50 percent ownership in a firm set up to market flood control and agricultural pumps overseas” just prior to his father taking office as President.
- Jeb Bush’s joint venture with GOP donor and businessman David Eller, Bush-El, “was a company created, in part, to harness Bush’s political star power.”
- According to the New York Times, Jeb Bush was “a sought-after partner for South Florida entrepreneurs in the 1980s and ’90s” because his celebrity seemed to “open doors and provide access.”
Jeb Bush traveled to Nigeria to secure business for his associate’s water pump company
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In 1989, Jeb Bush planned to visit Nigeria with his business partner, David Eller, for the dedication of a water pump plant and a possible meeting with Nigeria’s president.
- Jeb Bush “was not visiting Nigeria on a diplomatic mission. He had come to promote an industrial water pump company.” [Mother Jones, 6/11/15]
- Nigeria’s President Babangida personally requested to meet with Jeb Bush.
- During his meeting with Pres. Babangida, Jeb Bush “praised M&W Pump as an outstanding example of American private sector cooperation with Nigeria and a contributor to Nigeria’s development.”
- Jeb Bush was reported to have “pledged his father would increase aid to developing countries” while on his Nigeria trip.
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In 1991, Jeb Bush returned to Nigeria with an associate who allegedly intended to bribe government officials.
- Jeb Bush returned to Nigeria hoping to secure a deal in which the government “would buy $74 million worth of water pumps from his South Florida business partner.”
- An associate in the deal allegedly carried a suitcase that “was packed with cash to bribe the Nigerian officials.”
- In 1992, Nigeria purchased $74.3 million in water pumps from MWI, a transaction that amounted to “more than four times the annual sales of the company.”
The FBI investigated the Nigerian water pump deal
- The Justice Department argued that MWI “fraudulently concealed that the deal would include a ‘highly irregular’ $28 million in commissions for the company’s Nigerian sales agent” when applying for Ex-Im loans.
- MWI was found guilty “of failing to disclose nearly $30 million in commissions” paid to the same sales agent who allegedly planned to bribe Nigerian officials to secure the pump deal.
- Jeb Bush’s “name came up several times” during the FBI investigation into MWI.
Jeb Bush denied involvement in the fraudulent transaction…
- Jeb Bush claimed to have earned $648,250 from Bush-El, while the Eller family donated upwards of $30,000 to the Florida GOP and Bush’s gubernatorial campaign.
- Jeb Bush claimed “he did nothing to help secure the U.S. loan” from the Ex-Im Bank and said that he denied a $1 million commission from the deal.
…but those with knowledge of the deal said otherwise.
- Jeb Bush “earned a higher figure” from MWI than the $648,000 he disclosed according to several MWI employees interviewed by the FBI.
- The employees claimed Bush received a commission on projects from 3 to 5 percent.
- An MWI employee working on the Nigerian deal claimed Jeb Bush “made $1.7 million directly from the Nigerian deal, which was paid in 1993 as he was leaving the company to run for governor.”
- Jeb Bush’s joint venture, Bush-El, was said by MWI’s former vice president to have earned a 5 percent commission on all projects “to be shared half and half between Jeb Bush” and MWI.
- MWI’s legal secretary “told the FBI in 1999 that [Jeb] Bush made around $800,000 from MWI,” saying it was “laughable” to claim he only made $648,000.
- Jeb Bush declined “an opportunity to review and discuss his company’s work with MWI.”