2/18/2013
By Ivan Pereira
Hillary Clinton’s two cents on politics and world issues is likely going earn her a pretty penny.
Now that she’s stepped down from her post at D.C., Hillary Clinton is being represented by the Harry Walker Agency — a public speaking booking company — and is poised to make big bucks on the speech circuit the could rival what her husband brings in.
The agency, which also represents Bill Clinton, Dick Cheney and Kofi Annan, didn’t return calls for comment about their deal, but political experts say possible presidential candidate could demand quite a high fee.
“I know Herman Cain can make close to $50,000 for speeches. Hillary Clinton can definitely make close to $250,000,” said Christina Greer, an assistant professor of political science at Fordham University.
George Arzt, the president of George Arzt communications, which specializes in PR for politicians, agreed and said the figure could be higher in foreign countries.
Arzt represented the late Ed Koch — who earned $100,000 for each speech and even more when he talked abroad — and said Clinton could bring a million dollars overseas.
“She’s very popular in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America,” he said.
Bill Clinton, by comparison, received a check for $750,000 in 2011 for a speech at a telecommunications group in Hong Kong. That year, Clinton raked in $13.4 million from 54 speeches.
Hillary Clinton’s talks will likely focus on serious issues, experts say.
Hank Sheinkopf, a political consultant, said Clinton has a wide variety of topics she can discuss thanks to her decades of political experiences, but he expects her talks to focus on her time as secretary of state.
A lot of the issues she dealt with during her four-year tenure, such as the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the political movements in the Middle East and the economic troubles in Europe, are still relevant and people would be interested to see what her take on those topics, according to Sheinkopf.
“Her experience came at a time during a tremendous shift in world politics,” he said.
Evan Stavisky, a political consultant with the Parkside Group, said the public speaking circuit has become a more popular choice for politicians who are stay out of office but want to keep a high profile.
Unlike joining a law firm or political group like other former presidential candidates, Clinton can give her take on public policy and parlay that into a possible 2016 run without looking like a lobbyist, according to Stavisky.
“When you’re Hillary Clinton, it’s not about getting more [popularity]. She is one of the most admired persons worldwide,” he said.
“This is an opportunity to give thoughtful insight.” (with Shelia Anne Feeney)
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NYers on the speech circuit
— Rudy Giuliani: The former mayor and presidential candidate was paid $270,000, for one of many speeches in 2007 while he was seeking higher office. His firm, Washington Speakers Bureau, promotes his speeches on topics including American politics, crisis management and leadership.
— Mario Cuomo: The former governor has made appearances on a wide variety of topics including “the state of the American economy to the current condition in Iraq,” according to his bio at the Harry Walker Agency.
— David Paterson: The former governor is also represented by the Harry Walker Agency and talks about various issues that he worked on during his decades of public service. His speeches include the economy, marriage equality and civil rights.
— Alfonse D’Amato: The former senator’s speech is titled “Power, Pasta & Politics: The World According to Senator D’Amato,” according to Harry Walker. The speech focuses on his rise to federal office and his expertise on the economy based on his time as chair of the Senate Banking committee.
