Former President Bill Clinton has reportedly agreed to make public the names of more than 200,000 donors to his foundation as part of a deal with President Elect Barack Obama to clear the way for Hillary Clinton to become secretary of state.

Former President Bill Clinton has reportedly agreed to make public the names of more than 200,000 donors to his foundation as part of a deal with President Elect Barack Obama to clear the way for Hillary Clinton to become secretary of state.

The New York Times reported Clinton had decided to publish his contributor list to avoid an appearance of conflict of interest with his wife's duties as state secretary.

Her appointment is expected to be announced today.

The contributors' list is one of nine conditions Clinton agreed to in discussions with Obama's representatives, the report said.

Clinton turned over the names of all 208,000 individuals and organisations that have given money since 1997, the paper said, and his foundation agreed to make them public by the year's end.

Future donors will also be disclosed as long as Hillary Clinton, a New York senator, is in the cabinet, it said.

The former president has also agreed to submit his speeches and business dealings in advance to State Department ethics officials for review, as well as to the White House counsel's office if need be, the Times said.

The Obama team said it expected Clinton's concessions would defuse any potential controversy, the report said.

Obama was also to name his choices for UN ambassador, attorney general and homeland security secretary today.

Obama has settled on Susan Rice, his campaign foreign policy adviser, for the UN post. Eric Holder, who helped run Obama's vice-presidential search, will be attorney general and Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano will take over the Homeland Security Department.