Hillary Clinton’s family foundation took millions of dollars from fossil fuel giants, according to a report, but this past week the Democratic presidential front-runner snapped at a Greenpeace activist, claiming to be “sick” of such allegations.
On April 1, Clinton “shocked” Eva Resnick-Day, who asked the Democratic presidential hopeful if she would give her “word that you’ll reject fossil fuel money in the future for your campaign?”
“I don’t have money from people who work for fossil fuel companies,” Clinton told the Greenpeace activist before accusing Senator Bernie Sanders’ rival campaign of “lying” about her.
However, Clinton reportedly received between $2.5 million and $3 million from major fossil fuel companies back when she was running for president in 2008, and during her time as head of the State Department, according to a research conducted by International Business Times.
IBT reported that Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil all contributed funds to Clinton’s campaign and super PAC during her 2008 presidential bid, just a year before she approved the 400-mile Alberta Clipper pipeline, for which those three companies had long been lobbying.
All three companies reportedly made substantial investments in developing the Canadian oil sands served by the Alberta Clipper during the time leading up to the Clinton-led State Department reviewing and approving the deal.
Chevron’s Laurence Humphries raised more than $100,000 for her run against Barack Obama in 2008.
All in all, Chevron has donated between $500,000 and $1 million to the foundation, the IBTimes reported.
More recently, two Chevron lobbyists were previously listed as fundraising bundlers for Clinton’s 2016 campaign.
“The Clinton Global Initiative was one of the many partnerships and programs that the company has had or maintains to advance our aim to build communities by investing in health, education and economic development in the areas where we do business,” Chevron spokeswoman Melissa Ritchie told IBT.
ExxonMobil has poured about $2 million into the Clinton Foundation and nearly $17 million into another nonprofit group co-founded by Clinton since 2009.
ConocoPhillips, which lobbied the State Department during every quarter of 2009, supported Clinton with donations of $10,000 and $25,000.
Data compiled by Greenpeace in March showed that Clinton’s campaign received $3.25 million from fossil fuel companies and related sources through a “Pro-Hillary Clinton Super PAC,” which is supporting her current run for the White House.
“When people walk into a room with $3.25 million, in a political system where you have to raise this kind of money to win, you’re going to have to make concessions,” said Jesse Coleman, a researcher for Greenpeace. “That’s the danger right there that you’re listening to them more than you’re listening to people who don’t have that kind of money.”
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The Clinton campaign also accepted at least $160,000 in direct donations from the fossil fuel industry, according to the Annenberg Foundation.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Clinton ranks fourth among the “Top Recipients” of oil and gas money, raking in $307,561.