Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 13 September 2019
New U.S. envoy Kelly Craft says she will be voice for freedom

By EDITH M. LEDERER and she is the first major had said, climate change
Associated Press political donor to occupy is a “real risk to our planet”
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — the top U.N. post for any that must be addressed.
Kelly Craft presented her administration. Joe Craft is Democrats also expressed
credentials Thursday as the chief executive of Alliance concerns about her time
new U.S. ambassador to Resource Partners, one of away from Canada dur-
the United Nations and said the largest coal producers ing her tenure as ambas-
she is coming to the world in the country. sador. Craft testified that
organization “as a voice At her confirmation hear- all of her travel had been
of America’s unwavering ing, Craft vowed to con- approved in advance by
commitment to democra- tinue Haley’s efforts to push the State Department, that
cy, freedom, human rights for reform at the world much of it was work-relat-
and, whenever possible, body and to fight against ed and that she and her
peaceful resolution of con- anti-Israel resolutions. Dur- husband had paid for all
flicts.” ing Haley’s tenure, the U.S. personal trips. A report just
A longtime Republican ac- New U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft talks to the media after withdrew from the U.N. Hu- before Craft’s confirmation
tivist from Kentucky who attending her first Security Council meeting, at United Nations man Rights Council and vote by the top Democrat
previously served as U.S. headquarters, Thursday, Sept. 12, 2019. UNESCO over what it called on the Senate Foreign Re-
ambassador to Canada, Associated Press anti-Israel bias. lations Committee, Sen.
Craft expressed “extraordi- vocate for the poor and since she was confirmed by Democrats criticized Craft Bob Menendez of New
nary gratitude for the bold the weak. And I will never the U.S. Senate on July 31. at her confirmation hear- Jersey, called her “inexpe-
leadership” of President fail to work with those who She replaces Nikki Haley, ing for previous remarks rienced,” ‘’unknowledge-
Donald Trump, saying she genuinely wish to advance who stepped down from she had made doubting able” and “outmatched.”
will “seek to maintain and the cause of human dig- the U.N. post in December. the causes and sever- It said Craft’s lack of “diplo-
grow ... the reinvigorated nity.” Deputy ambassador Jona- ity of climate change and matic or substantive policy
policies of this administra- Craft spoke briefly to re- than Cohen has been the suggesting that climate experience” could threat-
tion.” porters after presenting her acting U.S. ambassador change skeptics have val- en her ability to defend U.S.
“In a world marked by hu- credentials to Secretary- since then, and he will re- id arguments. They were national interests against
manitarian crises and geo- General Antonio Guterres main through late Septem- also concerned about pos- other powerful nations.
political challenges, strong and attending her first ber’s annual gathering of sible conflicts of interest as Republicans, including
American leadership is ab- Security Council meet- world leaders before taking she holds extensive invest- her home-state senator,
solutely critical, and I intend ing, where she delivered up his new job as U.S. am- ments in fossil fuels. Majority Leader Mitch Mc-
to provide it,” she said. a statement about easing bassador to Egypt. Craft acknowledged the Connell, came to her de-
“I will defend America’s the arms embargo on the Craft and her husband, “vast amount of science” fense. McConnell cited her
values and interests,” Craft Central African Republic. Joe Craft, have donated regarding climate change work in helping to facilitate
said. “I will stand by our It was Craft’s first appear- millions of dollars to Repub- and the role humans have the U.S.-Mexico-Canada
friends and allies. I will ad- ance at the United Nations lican political candidates, played saying: “If con- trade agreement, Trump’s
firmed, I will be an advo- long-sought revamp of the
cate for addressing cli- North American Free Trade
mate change.” Earlier, she Agreement.q

Judge: Hastert victim broke terms

of $3.5M hush-money deal

By MICHAEL TARM the hush money, nearly $2
AP Legal Affairs Writer million.
CHICAGO (AP) — A former Hastert’s lawyers said the
student who Dennis Hastert 2010 deal was void after
sexually abused decades Doe spoke about it to oth-
ago breached an unwrit- ers.
ten $3.5 million hush-money Pilmer agreed only in part
agreement with the former with Hastert’s position, say-
U.S. House Speaker by tell- ing the man who sued did
ing family members and have “an obligation” not
a friend about it, an Illinois to discuss the agreement.
judge ruled this week. “He needed to keep it se-
But Kendall County Judge cret,” Pilmer said in the sev-
Robert Pilmer declined to en-page ruling first posted
enter an immediate judg- Tuesday.
ment in favor of either Hast- The roughly $1.5 million
ert or the now-adult victim Hastert did pay over four
who sued the Illinois Repub- years in $50,000 cash install-
lican, saying decisive ques- ments prompted a criminal
tions in the civil case can investigation in 2014. Hast-
only be answered at a trial. ert’s methods for structur-
Hastert’s victim, referred ing the cash withdrawals so
to only as James Doe in fil- they wouldn’t be flagged
ings, brought the breach- tipped off the FBI, initiating
of-contract lawsuit in 2016 the probe and eventually
in a bid to force Hastert to making his abuse of Doe
pay the unpaid balance of and others public.q