Obama Accused of Misuse of Taxpayer Dollars in Kenya
Article audio sponsored by The John Birch Society

In just two years, President Obama has been accused of a variety of impeachable offenses, including ineligibility, bribery, and assisting in the selling of his former Senate seat. To add to the growing list of alleged crimes, Obama has now been accused of “engaging in illegal funding of the pro-abortion and pro-Sharia Kenyan constitution using taxpayer dollars, in direct conflict with U.S. law,” says Representative Chris Smith.

According to the Congressman, proof exists that the White House is funding the “Yes” campaign to help win approval for the controversial constitution in the next month, and alleges that the contributions amounted to $10 million.

The constitution in question has drawn the ire of local and worldwide pro-life and church groups, according to LifeNews.com because “provisions in it would overturn the current legal protections women and unborn children enjoy and would essentially authorize unlimited abortions despite the pro-life cultural views of most Kenyans.”

According to the polling firm Synovate, 69 percent of Kenyans are opposed to all abortions, while a mere 9 percent support it. Seventy-seven percent believe life begins at conception. As such, 52 percent believe the constitution requires revision before they will approve it.

Despite these figures, both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have publically articulated support for the constitution.

In a June interview with the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation, Obama spoke of voting in favor of the document as “a singular opportunity to put the government of Kenya on solid footing” and encouraged Kenyans to “take advantage of the moment.”

Biden remarked, “The United States strongly supports the process of constitutional reform…. Dare to reach for transformative change, the kind of change that might come around only once in a lifetime. If you make these changes, I promise you, new foreign private investment will come in like you’ve never seen.”

United States Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger hinted that the Obama administration showed interest in financially supporting the campaign for Kenyans to adopt the constitution.

“There is no doubt that the Obama administration is funding the ‘yes’ campaign in Kenya. By funding NGOs charged with obtaining ‘yes’ votes, the Administration has crossed the line,” states Congressman Smith.

Congressmen Smith, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Darrell Issa have launched an investigation of the charges, and acquired a chart of USAID for examination. The data shows two organizations in receipt of $150,000 for the “Yes” campaign.

Smith states, “Directly supporting efforts to register ‘yes’ voters and ‘get out the yes vote’ means the U.S. government is running a political campaign in Kenya. U.S. taxpayer funds should not be used to support one side or the other.”

LifeNews.com adds that under the Siljander Amendment annually included in the State, Foreign Operations Appropriations Acts, “lobbying for or against abortion is prohibited.”

In addition to the alleged contributions to the Kenya constitution campaign, LifeNews.com reports that the chart of USAID shows aid given to five organizations for the purposes of acquiring a “yes” vote at the referendum in the amount of $100,000.

Another group in receipt of taxpayer funds is the Central Organization of Trade Unions, Kenya, in the amount of $91,000 to “marshal a coalition of pro-Constitution individuals, institutions, and organizations to drum up political support for the proposed Constitution by organizing a public rally at the historic Kamukunji Grounds, Nairobi.”

Similarly, funds ranging from $30,000 to $99,000 were provided to each of the following: the Provincial Commissioner North Eastern Province, the Kenya Muslim Youth Alliance, the Provincial Peace Forum, the Inter Community Peace Choir Organization, the North Rift Theatre Ambassadors, the Amani Peoples Theatre, the Christian Community Services, and the Pokot Outreach Ministries, all for the purposes of encouraging a “yes” vote.

Vice President Joe Biden has denied the charges made against President Obama. In pursuit of the truth, Fox News attempted to contact Biden: “Requests for comment sent to the vice president’s office were not initially returned, but … Biden’s press secretary, in an email stressed that while in Kenya the vice president reiterated that it is up to the people to decide about their country’s constitution.”

Likewise, the United States embassy in Kenya issued a formal statement contending that the Obama administration has not made campaign contributions for the Kenya constitution using taxpayer dollars.

“These claims are categorically false, and those making such allegations are lying. The U.S. government is supporting the constitutional review process as the centerpiece of the broad reform agenda agreed to following the post-election crisis.”

Human Life International representative Joseph Meaney notes that while there are provisions in the document that protect the life of the unborn, it provides an exception for the health of the mother that can virtually be used to justify any abortion.

“Perhaps the greatest insult is that this attack is happening under the banner of ‘improving women’s health.’ The only ones who believe that killing an unborn child is good for a woman’s health are those who will profit from the slaughter…. This is nothing but population control, an imperialist assault intended to rob Africa of its future by eliminating her children. It is a disgrace.”

The vote to approve of the controversial constitution is set to take place on August 4.