The Clintons were forced to return an estimated $200,000 in furniture, china and art they"stole" from the White House.The Clintons voluntarily returned or paid for some gifts due to a dispute over whether they had been given to the Clintons personally or to the U.S.The Clintons were not"forced" to return any gifts, they were not found to have"stolen" any items, and the aggregate value of the objects in question was much less than $200,000.
Most of the gifts are artworks, flatware, furniture, china and rugs for a couple who for nearly two decades have not had a home of their own but now suddenly have two large houses, one in Northwest Washington, the other in Chappaqua, N.Y.governing the acceptance of gifts by the president and other federal employees divide such items into two categories: those received from foreign officials or governments , and those received from the American public .
There was nothing illegal about the Clintons keeping personal gifts that had been given to them in the White House, but the $190,027 total price tag of their final year’s haul elicited criticism, which the former first couple sought to stem byDays later, thethat the Clintons would return an additional $28,000 or more worth of gifts that donors complained had been earmarked for the White House permanent collection, not the Clintons’ personal use.
There's a very small speck of truth in there. Very, very small.