Sean Penn : 'Very Suspicious' of Wyclef Jean's Haitian Presidential Bid

Rapper  and former Fugees singer  Wyclef Jean made the first televised announcement  of his bid for the Haitian  presidency last night  on CNN. After several satellite interview segments between Wyclef  and Wolf  Blitzer , philanthropist and actor Sean Penn shared harsh words for the Haitian-born rapper, questioning his motives and value as a leader.
"This is someone who's going to receive an enormous amount of support from the  United  States , and I have to say I'm very suspicious of it, simply because he, as an ambassador at large, has been virtually silent. For those of us in Haiti, he has been a non-presence," Penn said.

Jean, 37,was  born in Haiti but left soon after  and was raised in Brooklyn and New  Jersey. He established the Yel`e Haiti foundation in 2004, providing aid and opportunities to the country's citizens. Penn, who has been very active on the ground in Haiti since the earthquake , high-lighted allegations that Wyclef  mishandled $400,000 donated for the country through his Yel`e Haiti foundation.
"He claims he didn't do it. That has to be looked into," Penn said. "I've been there, I know what $400,000 could do for these people's lives."

Wyclef's political motives were of particular concern to Penn.
"I see in Wyclef Jean somebody who could well have been influenced by the promise of support of companies. I think Haiti is clearerly vulnerable ....There is a history of American interests coming in and underpaying people. This is a culture of one to two dollars a day wages."
Penn openly worried about American corporations  and individuals "enamored" with Wyclef becoming "opportunists on the back of the Haitian people."

Jean responded to Penn's comments in an interview with the associated Press :
 "I just want Sean Penn to fully understand I am Haitian, born in Haiti and I've been coming to my country ever since I was a child. He might just want to pick up the phone  and meet, so he fully understands the man."
Wyclefs's estimated yearly income  - up to $18 million - is more  than 13,000 times more than the average Haitian sees in a year - assuming that person even has a job,"

" I haven't seen or heard anything of [Wyclef Jean ] in these last six months that I've been  in Haiti. I think he's an important voice, I hope he doesn't sacrifice  that voice  by taking  the eye off  the very devastating realities on the ground," Penn said. "I want  to see someone who's really , really willing to sacrifice for their country, and not just someone who I personally saw with vulgar entourage of vehicles that demonstrated a wealth in Haiti that, in context, I felt was a very obscene demonstration."

My spin : Way to go Sean...tell that fool  to donate some of his money to his homeland....Wyclef  Jean...you are so wrong...Penn don't need to pick up the phone to get to know the man....hell I think he knows you  very well.
Kicking back and keeping it real.