Two watchdog groups called for Hillary Clinton to sever ties with the Clinton Foundation if she were to win the presidency — including the removal of daughter, Chelsea, from the board, The Hill reports.
Noting that the conflicts of interest are "very real" and "very serious," the groups stop short of calling for the Foundation to shutter its doors, but said it would be imperative for safeguards to be put in place.
One watchdog, Public Citizen, said the removal of Chelsea Clinton is one of the necessary steps, telling The Hill "pay-to-play" perceptions would never subside otherwise.
"As long as the Clinton Foundation is tied to the family … very wealthy people and special interests … will try to find a way to throw money at the feet of the Clinton family," Craig Holman, government affairs lobbyist at Public Citizen told The Hill, adding that Chelsea "would be the avenue."
The Campaign Legal Center agreed.
"I'd want to know what other safeguards they're going to have [to ensure] the foundation is not being used as a conduit to get access to the White House," Larry Noble, general counsel at the Campaign Legal Center told The Hill, adding that the Clintons must "sever all connections and not have any contact with the foundation."