Between 2001 and last spring, when Hillary Clinton launched her second presidential campaign, she and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, brought in more than $153 million for making paid speeches, including millions for addresses given to big banks,
according to a new CNN analysis.
The powerhouse political couple gave a total of 729 speeches between February 2001, just after the former president finished his second term in the White House and through this past May, earning an average of $210,795 per speech, the analysis shows.
This money includes at least $7.7 million paid out for 39 speeches the couple gave over the years to big banks that include Goldman Sachs and UBS, with Hillary pocketing at least $1.8 million herself for eight of those speeches.
Clinton's paydays are a point of contention between her and her rival for the nomination, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and the two argued on the debate stage over the issue Thursday night.
"What being part of the establishment is, is in the last quarter, having a super PAC that raised $15 million from Wall Street, that throughout one's life raised a whole lot of money from the drug companies and other special interests," Sanders commented, to Clinton's objections.
"Time and time again, by innuendo, by insinuation, there is this attack that he is putting forth which really comes down to, you know, anybody who ever took donations or speaking fees from any interest group has to be bought. And I just absolutely reject that, senator, and I really don't think these kinds of attacks by insinuation are worthy of you. And enough is enough," Clinton said.
Further, she told him, "if you've got something to say, say it directly, but you will not find that I ever changed a view or a vote because of any donation I ever received."
Clinton has said she'd look into making her remarks to the banks public, but meanwhile, this past week she told CNN host Anderson Cooper that she does not think it was a mistake accepting $675,000 for three speeches to Goldman Sachs, as she did not know at that time if she'd be seeking the presidency again.
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.