In a blistering 47-minute Senate Appropriations hearing, Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) exposed what he branded the Obama Foundation’s $500 million “slush fund,” accusing the nonprofit of running “the slickest money-laundering operation since Capone wore spats.” Armed with declassified IRS audits and whistleblower documents, Kennedy laid out a trail of vanished donor funds: $500 million funneled into undocumented “global initiatives” with no paper trail, a $740,000 annual salary to Valerie Jarrett while the Presidential Center languished half-built for eight years, and a mere $1 million deposited into a promised $470 million taxpayer protection fund meant to cover overruns on public park land. He also highlighted $93 million in “consulting fees” routed to firms tied to Obama campaign bundlers. “This ain’t a foundation, folks,” Kennedy declared in his signature drawl. “This is a personal ATM disguised as charity.”
Twenty minutes later, the fireworks detonated off-site. Former President Barack Obama, speaking at a nearby democracy forum, was handed a phone streaming Kennedy’s takedown. Eyewitnesses report Obama turned “purple with rage,” slamming his fist so hard his microphone crashed to the floor. “They’re weaponizing audits against legacies!” he shouted before storming out mid-panel. Obama Foundation CEO Robynn Steffen fired back with a frantic denial: “Every penny is accounted for. This is pure political theater.” Kennedy shot back: “If everything’s above board, why fight the IRS for three years to hide these books?”
The scandal now engulfs the Obama Presidential Center—already $300 million over budget and years delayed—placing it at the center of Washington’s hottest controversy. Sources confirm the Department of Justice is reviewing criminal referral paperwork. With donor funds untraceable, taxpayer protections gutted, and Obama’s outburst fueling the fire, what began as a hearing has ignited a full-blown investigation. This story is just getting started.