Last week, we examined a number of fun ways to buy access to the Clinton political dynasty. Wealthy individuals and powerful interest groups in this country and around the world have sought to get in on the action over the years. But few corporations have done so more prolifically than Goldman Sachs.
The Wall Street financial firm, which ranks as the most hated corporation in America and has been roundly criticized by liberals such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.), has bought its way into the Clintons' political orbit in almost every possible way. Goldman Sachs employees and political action committees have donated $711,490 to Hillary Clinton’s campaigns over the course of her career—more than every other organization except Citigroup.
Goldman Sachs chairman and CEO Lloyd Blankfein is a personal friend of the Clintons and a prominent Hillary backer. "I very much was supportive of Hillary Clinton the last go-round," he told POLITICO in 2014. "I held fundraisers for her." Blankfein and his wife Laura have personally contributed more than $12,000 to Hillary’s campaigns. Blankfein is also an investor in Clinton son-in-law (and former Goldman Sachs employee) Marc Mezvinsky’s boutique hedge fund, Eaglevale Partners. Goldman Sachs was kind enough to host the "standing-room-only" group sessions for prospective investors ahead of its launch.
Former Goldman Sachs executives with close ties to the Clintons include Robert Rubin, who served as Bill Clinton’s Treasury Secretary, and Robert Harrison, who currently serves as CEO of the Clinton Global Initiative. Then there is former Goldman Sachs CEO Jon Corzine, who is raising money for Hillary despite being sued by the federal government for defrauding investors.
Goldman Sachs is one of the many corporate donors to the Bill, Hillary, & Chelsea Clinton Foundation (at least $250,000), as well as the Center for America Progress (at least $50,000), the left-wing think tanks whose former chairman, John Podesta, served as Bill Clinton’s chief of staff. Podesta is also expected to play a leading role in Hillary’s 2016 campaign.
The Wall Street firm has also helped pad the Clinton's personal fortunes by paying Hillary at least $400,000 for two speeches in 2013. According to one attendee, Hillary’s pro-Wall Street message went over pretty well: "It was like, ‘Here’s someone who doesn’t want to vilify us but wants to get business back in the game,’" the attendee told POLITICO. "Like, maybe here’s someone who can lead us out of the wilderness." Goldman Sachs paid Bill Clinton a total of $1.2 million for seven speeches between 2001 and 2012.
Add it all up, and Goldman Sachs has directly contributed a minimum of $2.6 million to the Clinton political empire, while its top executives and alumni maintain close ties to the Clintons themselves. They're definitely ready for Hillary. Are you?