Ameer Randolph
During her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton was accused by Bernie Sanders of receiving $4.5 million from the fossil fuel industry. However, this figure includes contributions from lobbyists who represent clients other than oil and gas companies and donations to a super PAC supporting Clinton, over which she has no control. While Clinton's campaign did not directly receive money from fossil fuel companies, which would be illegal, she received donations from employees of oil and gas companies, with records showing her campaign received about $160,000 from oil and gas company employees. Clinton's supporters included lobbyists and bundlers connected to the fossil fuel industry, and her Super PAC received over $3 million from donors in the industry.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total amount received from the fossil fuel industry | $4.5 million |
| Amount received from fossil fuel lobbyists | $138,400 |
| Amount received from bundlers | $1,327,210 |
| Amount received from large donors | $3,034,390 |
| Amount received from oil and gas company employees | $333,262 |
| Amount received from individuals who work for fossil fuel companies | $307,561 |
| Amount received from oil and gas company employees during the 2008 campaign | $398,000 |
| Amount received from BP America's Mary Streett | $2,700 |
| Amount received from Anadarko Petroleum lawyers Amanda McMillan and Richard Lapin | $2,700 each |
| Amount received from Sarah Venuto of America's Natural Gas Alliance | $2,910 |
| Amount received from Martin Durbin of America's Natural Gas Alliance | $1,000 |
| Amount received from Celia Fischer of America's Natural Gas Alliance | $2,700 |
| Amount received from ML Strategies' David Leiter | $36,550 |
| Amount received from ExxonMobil's Theresa Fariello | $2,700 |
| Amount received from Judith Batty | $2,700 |
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What You'll Learn
- Clinton's campaign received \$4.5 million from the fossil fuel industry
- Clinton's campaign received \$333,262 from oil and gas company employees
- Clinton's campaign received \$138,400 from fossil fuel lobbyists
- Clinton's campaign received \$1,327,210 from bundlers
- Clinton's campaign received \$2,700 from BP America's Mary Streett
Clinton's campaign received \$4.5 million from the fossil fuel industry
During her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton was accused of receiving $4.5 million from the fossil fuel industry. This claim was made by Sen. Bernie Sanders, who was also a presidential candidate at the time. However, it is important to note that Clinton's campaign did not directly receive this money. Instead, it was donated to a super PAC that supported her. By law, Clinton's campaign had no control over this super PAC.
The $4.5 million figure includes contributions from lobbyists who represent clients other than oil or gas companies and donations from other donors with no ties to the fossil fuel industry. The majority of this money is tied to donations made to the super PAC by two individuals who run investment funds with some investments in oil and gas companies. These investments represent only a small fraction of their overall investment portfolios.
Clinton's campaign disclosed a list of 40 registered lobbyists to the Federal Election Commission, many of whom had worked for the fossil fuel industry in the past. These lobbyists had bundled thousands of dollars from oil and gas companies such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, and TransCanada. Additionally, the Clinton Foundation has accepted millions of dollars in donations from oil and gas companies and producing states in the Middle East.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Clinton's 2016 campaign received about $160,000 from oil and gas company employees, which was the third-highest among presidential candidates at the time. This amount increased slightly to $333,262 when including contributions to outside groups that support Clinton. However, it is worth noting that the overwhelming majority of donations from the fossil fuel industry went to Republican candidates, with 97.7% of the money going to Clinton's opponents.
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Clinton's campaign received \$333,262 from oil and gas company employees
During her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton received $333,262 from oil and gas company employees. This included donations from lobbyists and bundlers with ties to the fossil fuel industry.
Clinton's ties to the fossil fuel industry became a contentious issue during her campaign, with some accusing her of accepting direct contributions from oil and gas companies. While it is illegal for presidential candidates to accept donations directly from corporations, including those in the fossil fuel industry, individuals within these companies can donate within certain limits.
Clinton's campaign stated that she had received money from people who work for fossil fuel companies but denied that this constituted reliance on funds from the industry. They emphasised that the majority of donations from oil and gas company employees went to Republican candidates, with Clinton receiving a far smaller proportion.
However, critics pointed to the number of lobbyists and bundlers associated with the fossil fuel industry who had contributed to Clinton's campaign. A Greenpeace report identified 58 lobbyists with ties to the industry who had donated to Clinton, with some claiming that this represented a significant influence on her campaign.
The issue of Clinton's campaign funding from the fossil fuel industry highlighted the challenges of balancing campaign finances with commitments to transition to clean and renewable energy sources.
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Clinton's campaign received \$138,400 from fossil fuel lobbyists
During her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton's campaign received $138,400 from fossil fuel lobbyists, according to a report by Greenpeace. This included donations from 58 lobbyists, many of whom worked for ExxonMobil or the gas industry.
Clinton's campaign has also received $1,327,210 from bundlers, who are fundraisers that collect money from individual donors and bundle the money together for a campaign. These bundlers are linked to Big Oil, natural gas, and the Keystone pipeline. When including these donations, Clinton's campaign and the super PAC supporting her have received a total of more than $4.5 million from lobbyists, bundlers, and large donors connected to the fossil fuel industry.
However, it is important to note that Clinton's campaign did not directly accept donations from fossil fuel companies, as that would be illegal under federal campaign finance laws. Instead, the donations came from individuals who work in the fossil fuel industry or had some connection to it. In addition, Clinton's campaign has stated that she has received only about $330,000 from individuals who work for fossil fuel companies, which is about 0.2% of the total raised by her campaign.
The issue of Clinton's campaign receiving donations from the fossil fuel industry has been a source of controversy, with some accusing her of being influenced by the industry and others defending her by pointing out that she has pledged to move away from fossil fuels and towards clean, renewable energy.
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Clinton's campaign received \$1,327,210 from bundlers
During her 2016 presidential campaign, Hillary Clinton faced scrutiny over her ties to the fossil fuel industry and allegations that she received substantial financial contributions from oil and gas companies. One of the key points of contention was the role of "bundlers" in her campaign fundraising.
Bundlers are individuals who collect money from multiple donors and aggregate or "bundle" those donations to make a larger contribution to a political campaign. This practice is legal and allows campaigns to receive significant funding without directly accepting donations from corporations, which is prohibited by federal campaign finance laws.
In the case of Hillary Clinton's campaign, it was revealed that many of her bundlers had connections to the fossil fuel industry. A list disclosed to the Federal Election Commission identified 40 registered lobbyists who had bundled contributions for Clinton's campaign, many of whom had previously worked for oil and gas companies or represented their interests. Notable examples include:
- David Leiter of ML Strategies, who lobbied on behalf of Sempra Energy and was a lobbyist for ExxonMobil, bundled $36,550 for Clinton's campaign.
- Gordon Giffin, a former lobbyist for TransCanada, the company behind the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, was a significant Clinton bundler, raising over $100,000.
- Mary Streett, formerly the top lobbyist for the nuclear power utility Exelon and then working for BP America, donated $2,700.
- Sarah Venuto and Martin Durbin, lobbyists for America's Natural Gas Alliance, donated $2,910 and $1,000, respectively.
In total, Clinton's campaign received $1,327,210 from bundlers with connections to the fossil fuel industry, according to a Greenpeace report. This amount formed part of the larger figure of over $4.5 million that was alleged to have been received by Clinton's campaign and the super PAC supporting her from lobbyists, bundlers, and large donors connected to the fossil fuel industry.
While the Clinton campaign maintained that only a small fraction of their total fundraising came from individuals associated with the fossil fuel industry, the presence of bundlers with industry ties highlighted the complex nature of political donations and the potential influence of special interests in political campaigns.
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Clinton's campaign received \$2,700 from BP America's Mary Streett
During the 2016 election cycle, federal campaign finance laws allowed individuals to donate up to $2,700 per candidate per election. Hillary Clinton's campaign received $2,700 from BP Americas' Mary Streett, formerly the top lobbyist for the nuclear power utility Exelon.
While Clinton's campaign did not accept any direct contributions from fossil fuel companies, it did receive donations from employees of oil and gas companies. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Clinton's 2016 campaign received about $160,000 from oil and gas company employees. This amount increased slightly to $333,262 when including contributions from oil and gas company employees to outside groups that supported Clinton.
The issue of fossil fuel money in Clinton's campaign was a subject of debate during her 2016 presidential run. Sen. Bernie Sanders and Greenpeace claimed that Clinton received $4.5 million from the fossil fuel industry. However, this figure includes contributions from lobbyists who represent clients other than oil or gas companies and donations to a super PAC supporting Clinton, which Clinton does not control.
Clinton responded to the accusations by stating that she had received money from people who work for fossil fuel companies but denied any direct contributions from fossil fuel companies themselves, which would be illegal under federal campaign finance laws.
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Frequently asked questions
Hillary Clinton has denied receiving money from fossil fuel companies, but she has received donations from employees of oil and gas companies.
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the Clinton 2016 campaign received about $160,000 from oil and gas company employees. This rose to $333,262 when including contributions to outside groups that support her.
The fossil fuel industry's share of the Clinton campaign's funds was between 0.2% and 0.8%.
Greenpeace claims that Clinton's campaign and the super PAC supporting her received over $4 million from lobbyists, bundlers, and large donors connected to the fossil fuel industry. However, these donations were not made directly to Clinton's campaign.
