Clinton Foundation admits to receiving $1 million Qatari donation

A million dollars gifted from Qatar to the Clinton Foundation while Hillary Clinton was US secretary of state was not submitted to the state department - as per official protocol - the group has finally admitted.

The weighty contribution was donated in 2011 to mark the 65th birthday of former President Bill Clinton, according to emails leaked by Wikileaks last month, in another accusation that threatens Hillary's bid to become next US president.

The Gulf state has given a total of between $1 million and $5 million over recent years, the foundation's website stated.

But the funds were not submitted for review as stipulated by an ethics agreement signed by Clinton before becoming secretary of state.

Foundation spokesman, Brian Cookstra said Qatar's contribution supported the organisation's "overall humanitarian work".

"Qatar continued supporting Clinton Foundation at equal or lower levels" compared with contributions before 2009, he said.

But officials at Qatar's embassy in Washington and in its council of ministers in the capital, Doha, declined to discuss the donation, according to Reuters.

Leaks

Meanwhile, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has claimed that Saudi and Qatari officials have also financially supported the activities of Islamic State group militants.

In an interview with journalist John Pilger, Assange was asked whether he believed "this notorious jihadist group, called ISIL or ISIS, is created largely with money from people who are giving money to the Clinton Foundation".

"Yes," Assange replied. Assange and Wikileaks have been accused of working with Russia to detail Clinton's presidential bid through the leaks, and give a much needed boost to Republican Donald Trump's campaign.

One example is an email released by the group, allegedly sent between Clinton and John Podesta in 2014, which accuses Qatar and Saudi Arabia officials of financing IS.

However, this has been disputed by analysts who point out that IS propaganists have made constant attacks on the Saudi royal family and other Gulf leaders.

In IS' leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's latest speech, the self-decribed cleric made constant negative references to Saudi Arabia.

Key US-ally Saudi Arabia has donated between $10 and 25 million since the launch of the foundation in 1997, although no donations were made by the kingdom between 2009 and 2013 while Clinton held the secretary of state top role.

Derailing Hillary?

Hillary Clinton's US presidential campaign has been plagued by investigations into her use of private emails when dealing with state affairs.

The issue has raised concerns about transparency but appeared to have been put to rest in July when the FBI recommended that no charges be filed over the affair.

This decision now seems to have been re-assessed after thousands of new emails reportedly emerged after FBI agents seized electronic devices used by Clinton's closest aide Huma Abedin, whose husband is currently under investigation accused of sending sexually explicit messages to a 15 year-old girl.

US citizens are expected to head to the polls on 8 November to vote in what has become a global showdown between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.