(2008-0637-F) Bilderberg Conferences

31 folders, approximately 1,328 pages

This collection consists of cables, correspondence, email, memoranda, speeches, talking points, and tracking sheets concerning the Bilderberg Group, its conferences and events in which the President, First Lady, and White House staff were connected. Governor Clinton attended the 1991 Bilderberg Conference in Baden-Baden, Germany (for which no records were available); and First Lady Hillary Clinton attended the Atlanta, Georgia Conference in June of 1997. President Clinton made brief remarks at the Bilderberg Steering Committee Meeting in October of 1995. Several National Security Council staff members also spoke at Bilderberg events.

The materials in FOIA 2008-0637-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. This collection consists of cables, correspondence, email, memoranda, speeches, talking points, and tracking sheets concerning the Bilderberg Group, its conferences and events in which the President, First Lady, and White House staff were connected. The Bilderberg meetings began in 1954 when a group of leading citizens from Western Europe and the United States started to hold regular conferences for off-the-record discussions of major trends in the postwar period among the Atlantic Community. About 115 participants are invited to each meeting by the Bilderberg chairman in consultation with the steering committee. Members are primarily government and business leaders. Participants speak in a personal capacity, and conference proceedings are not distributed publicly. Then Governor Clinton attended the 1991 Bilderberg Conference in Baden-Baden, Germany (for which no records were available); and First Lady Hillary Clinton attended the Atlanta, Georgia Conference in June of 1997. President Clinton made brief remarks at the Bilderberg Steering Committee Meeting in October of 1995. Also, several National Security Council staff members have spoken at Bilderberg events.

Textual

Records that are responsive to this FOIA request were found in these collection areas – Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files, Clinton Presidential Records: ARMS Emails, and Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System. Staff and Office files were maintained at the folder level by staff members within their individual offices and document all levels of administration activity. Staff and Office files are processed at the folder level, that is, individual documents are not selected and removed from a folder for processing. While this method maintains folder integrity, it frequently results in the incidental processing of documents that are not wholly responsive to the subject area. The Automated Records Management System (ARMS) is a database that contains email records of the Executive Office of the President. This system maintained unclassified Presidential email. The ARMS dataset is comprised of 7 sub-series of email records called “Buckets.” The buckets include NPR, OPD, POTUS, WHO, CEA, and Default. ARMS emails are arranged chronologically by creation date.

Collection is open to all researchers. Access to Clinton Presidential Records is governed by the Presidential Records Act (PRA) (44 USC 2201) and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) (5 USC 552, as amended) and therefore records may be restricted in whole or in part in accordance with legal exemptions.

Official records of William Jefferson Clinton’s presidency are housed at the Clinton Presidential Library and administered by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) under the provisions of the Presidential Records Act (PRA).

Bilderberg Meetings

Staff Archivist, 2011. Previously restricted materials are added as they are released.

The following is a list of documents and folders processed in response to FOIA 2008-0637-F:
Box 1
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Chief of Staff
Stephanopoulos, George
Briefing book Bilderberg G. Stephanopoulos 5/30/96 [binder] [1] [OA/ID 8029]
Briefing book Bilderberg G. Stephanopoulos 5/30/96 [binder] [2] [OA/ID 8029]
Briefing book Bilderberg G. Stephanopoulos 5/30/96 [binder] [3] [OA/ID 8029]
Briefing book Bilderberg G. Stephanopoulos 5/30/96 [binder] [4] [OA/ID 8029]
Briefing book Bilderberg G. Stephanopoulos 5/30/96 [binder] [5] [OA/ID 8029]
Communications
Costello, Brenda
Bilderberg Conference [OA/ID 17325]
First Lady’s Office
Nanua, Daniela
HRC Daily Briefing Books – 6/97 – 9/97
HRC Briefings – Bilderberg Conference – June 1997 [1] [OA/ID 20552]
HRC Briefings – Bilderberg Conference – June 1997 [2] [OA/ID 20552]
HRC Briefings – Bilderberg Conference – June 1997 [3] [OA/ID 20552]
HRC Briefings – Bilderberg Conference – June 1997 [4] [OA/ID 20552]
HRC Briefings – Bilderberg Conference – June 1997 [5] [OA/ID 20552]
HRC Briefings – Bilderberg Conference – June 1997 [6] [OA/ID 20552]
Box 2
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files (continued)
First Lady’s Office
Verveer, Melanne
Misc. Subject Files
Bilderberg Background [binder] [1] [OA/ID 17869]
Bilderberg Background [binder] [2] [OA/ID 17869]
Bilderberg Background [binder] [3] [OA/ID 17869]
Bilderberg Background [binder] [4] [OA/ID 17869]
Bilderberg Background [binder] [5] [OA/ID 17869]
Subject Files: Bankruptcy – Bosnia
Bilderbergs [OA/ID 2022]
Box 3
Clinton Presidential Records: Automated Records Management System [Email]
WHO [OA/ID 500000]
[Bilderberg]
[01/01/1997 – 12/31/1997]
[01/01/2000 – 12/31/2000]
Clinton Presidential Records: Automated Records Management System [Email]
NSC [OA/ID 1200000]
[Bilderberg]
[05/21/1996 – 11/04/1999]
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System
NSC Cables
Jan 1997-Dec 1998
[Bilderberg]
[05/07/1997 – 06/24/1997] [OA/ID 520000]
NSC Email
MSMail-Record (Sept 94-Sept 97)
[Bilderberg]
[06/19/1995 – 05/24/1997] [OA/ID 590000]
MSMail-Non-Record (Sept 94-Sept 97)
[Bilderberg]
[09/27/1995] [OA/ID 605000]
Exchange-Record (Sept 97-Jan 01)
[Bilderberg]
[11/02/1999 – 05/26/2000] [OA/ID 620000]
Exchange-Non-Record (Mar 97-Jan 01)
[Bilderberg]
[06/02/1997 – 11/04/1999] [OA/ID 630000]
NSC Records Management System
[Bilderberg]
9505382 [OA/ID 594]
9506081 [OA/ID 599]
9507361 [OA/ID 607]
Clinton Presidential Records: NSC Cable, Email, and Records Management System (continued)
9702495 [OA/ID 1613]
9704037 [OA/ID 1625]