Uranium One

In June 2010 Uranium One agreed to sell at least 51 percent of itself to ARMZ, part of Russia’s Rosatom. Its Wyoming mines were about “20 percent of the currently licensed uranium in-situ recovery production capacity in the U.S.,” the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said. That is a share of licensed capacity, not 20 percent of U.S. uranium. [1]

The deal needed the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States: nine members, including Treasury, State, Defense, Energy and the attorney general. The committee cannot block a sale; only the president can. The State official on the committee said “Mrs. Clinton never intervened with me on any C.F.I.U.S. matter.” [1][3]

The NRC separately approved the licence transfer and said “no uranium produced at either facility may be exported.” [1]

Uranium One’s chairman, Ian Telfer, gave $2.35 million through his family foundation. The FBI’s 2016 opening memo alleged Clinton failed to disclose those four donations as the foundation’s ethics agreement with the Obama administration required. Bill Clinton was paid $500,000 for a June 2010 Moscow speech organised by Renaissance Capital, which the New York Times said had Kremlin ties and was promoting Uranium One’s stock. [1][3]

FactCheck.org found “no evidence that the donations or the speaking fee had any influence” on the approvals. An FBI memo of January 2016, released by Grassley in 2026, cites the undisclosed Telfer gifts as part of its reasons for opening a case. [1][3]