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Goldman Sachs Executive Hosts Hillary Clinton Fundraiser in London

Hillary Clinton
AP
October 6, 2016

A Goldman Sachs executive was among the hosts for a Hillary Clinton fundraiser held across the pond in London, England, on Wednesday night.

The fundraiser is billed as a "Women Abroad for Hillary" conversation with long-time Clinton aide Melanne Verveer, who was Clinton's chief of staff during her time as First Lady. Co-hosts for the event were required to raise at least $5,000 for Clinton's presidential campaign.

One of the co-hosts was Kathleen Hughes, who heads up global liquidity sales and European institutional sales for Goldman Sachs out of its London office. Hughes joined the financial giant in 2010 following 20 years at rival firm J.P. Morgan, where she spent time working in both private banking and asset management sales.

Clinton was berated during her Democratic primary fight with Bernie Sanders for her ties to Goldman Sachs and other Wall Street financial giants. Sanders struck a nerve amongst Democrats by frequently pointing to Clinton's ties to the financial sector, such as the $675,000 worth of fees that Clinton was paid to speak to Goldman Sachs.

The attacks forced Clinton to change her tune on Wall Street, but they did not stop Clinton from hitting up the firm for cash during its fight to defeat Sanders.

Wall Street executives from Goldman Sachs and other firms held at least 31 fundraisers for Clinton in 2015 alone, according to a January Washington Free Beacon report, and the fundraisers continued in 2016.

It was reported last month that Goldman Sachs had banned its employees from making political contributions to Republican Donald Trump.

The campaign's event organizer did not respond to a request for comment.