Beyond the Rhetoric
By Harry C. Alford
There just seems to be no end to the scandals connected with Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State, and her role in the Global Clinton Foundation. It was a money-making rouse aimed at raking in as many millions of dollars regardless of the threat to the security of our nation and the scores of victims who got in their way.
The following letter describes a struggle that our national office, and our affiliate, Manatee County (Florida) Black Chamber of Commerce, is going through to prevent the destruction of a major American company and the people who are employed there.
Commissioners,
In recent days, you have no doubt seen a great deal of activity from the Sierra Club concerning a phosphate mining operation owned by Mosaic in your county. This is an issue of some importance to The National Black Chamber of Commerce, as our Manatee County Chapter represents minority-owned business in the community. Like you, we are committed to the growth of the county and believe that creating new jobs, and retaining existing ones, is of paramount importance.
That is why it is truly disappointing to see the Sierra Club leading a fake grassroots fight against Mosaic’s permit for the mine. In fact, as you may know, the Sierra Club appears poised to file a lawsuit against the permit no matter what you, as Manatee County commissioners, decide.
There can be little doubt that you have an important decision to make about the future of Mosaic’s phosphate mining operation. More than a hundred families in your community directly depend on this operation for their livelihood. A number of vendors who service the mine also have jobs and income at stake. Disapproving a permit for the mine means lost jobs, lost dollars, and lost opportunity for many, including the kinds of minority businesses my organization represents.
The Sierra Club’s involvement appears even more disappointing when one considers recent revelations from major news outlets that the Clinton Foundation, which is tied closely to the Sierra Club, funneled millions of dollars from Moroccan business interests to try to put Mosaic out of business. After the Clinton Foundation took as much as $28 million in donations from Morocco’s ruler, King Mohammed VI, Ms. Clinton and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Lisa Jackson did everything they could in 2011 to shut down Mosaic’s operations. You will recall that EPA was relatively uninterested in phosphate mining until Lisa Jackson and the EPA began their assault on Mosaic in 2011.
Why would Morocco have such an interest in a phosphate mining operation in south Florida? The reason is clear. Morocco’s state-owned phosphate company, OCP, is a direct competitor of Mosaic and would benefit greatly from a shutdown of the mine in Manatee County. Shutting down the Mosaic mine was such a priority for Morocco and its state-owned competitor of Mosaic that King Mohammed VI directed $15 million to the Clinton Foundation through OCP.
In the meantime, the Sierra Club, which has well-known ties to the Clinton network, has become the artificial voice of the people working on the front lines in Manatee County to shut down Mosaic’s permit. You will recall that in June of 2016, the Sierra Club “enthusiastically endorsed” Ms. Clinton for President.
If this story seems difficult to follow, there is a reason. The story involves Arab business interests, millions of dollars changing hands through private foundations, and politicians and government officials directing their crosshairs at an American business. It also involves the Sierra Club, a group eager to take money from the Clinton circle to target American industry.
The story is complicated because those involved hoped to hide the truth. The evidence unearthed recently, though, provides the clear picture that a foreign company in Morocco used influence and money to shut down an American business that provides jobs right here in Manatee County. If successful, this plot would hurt many in Manatee County. There are consequences, though, for all Americans, since Mosaic is the only domestic producer of fertilizer. If the Moroccans are successful in using their allies to shut down Mosaic, it will leave the U.S. dependent on phosphates from Russia, China, and Saudi Arabia. This has dangerous implications for our food supply.
We urge you, in your capacity as county commissioners, to consider not only the benefits that the Mosaic mine brings to this community, but to also consider the nature of the opposition to this permit. It is our strong belief, born [sic] out by the evidence, that the Sierra Club is far more interested in a coordinated takedown of Mosaic than any sincere degree of environmental concern. Our hope is that you will do everything in your power to cut through the web of influence that extends from the Arab world, through the Clinton Foundation, and now into Manatee County, and make the right decision for this American business upon which so many people rely.
Mr. Alford is the co–founder, President/CEO of the National Black Chamber of Commerce®. Website: www.nationalbcc.org Email: [email protected]
