Bill Clinton defends embattled family foundation

ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Bill Clinton says he's proud of people who have donated to the Clinton Foundation and the work the organization has done, as he waded into a dispute that Republicans are hoping will damage his wife's presidential campaign.

The meetings between Clinton, now the Democratic presidential nominee, and foundation donors don't appear to violate legal agreements both Clintons signed before she joined the State Department in 2009.

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has criticized the links between the foundation and the State Department, accusing the Clintons of establishing "a business to profit from public office."

On Wednesday evening, Hillary Clinton said the AP had only "looked at a small portion of my time" as secretary of state and had drawn the conclusion that her meetings with Nobel laureates — such as Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel — were connected to the foundation rather than their work as global leaders.