Hillary Clinton, who is under fire from a variety of sources over her ties to big banks, went on record in 2005 for saying she was Goldman Sachs’ “Partner in Government.” She participated in the 2005 groundbreaking ceremony of Goldman Sachs new headquarters close to Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. The new headquarters was over 740-feet tall, and she was involved in the groundbreaking ceremony with then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senator Chuck Schumer, and other big names as well. Goldman Sachs utilized government Liberty Bonds in order to build the new headquarters. She said she was committed to helping the economy in lower Manhattan and helping businesses, such as Goldman Sachs, continue to prosper.
“Major employers like Goldman Sachs needed to know they had a partner in government to ensure that Lower Manhattan could continue to sustain their businesses in the area,” Senator Clinton said at the time. “I am pleased to be an ongoing partner in supporting economic development in Lower Manhattan and thank Goldman Sachs for their commitment to the future of Lower Manhattan and New York City.”
Indeed, the former first lady and potential first woman president has many other ties to the banking firm as well. Dan Beksha, who is her chief budget strategist, was a vice president with the firm from January, 2015 to April, 2015.
Besides being their partner in government, it is also important to note that Clinton’s employee, Beksha, actually transferred directly from Goldman Sachs in April of last year in order to work with Hillary on her presidential campaign. Beksha had been employed with Goldman Sachs for a number of years, including his initial stint as an associate at Goldman Sachs beginning in 2011. Beksha has also been highly involved in Democrat party activism for many years as a ranking member for the young Democrats.
As a “Partner in Government,” Hillary Clinton has also come under increasing scrutiny because of her ties to Goldman Sachs as well. She was repeatedly questioned about why she was given $675,000 for her Goldman Sachs speeches, and the only answer she could come up with was “that’s what they offered.” That four-word response has not been very helpful to her, because it cast her in a bad light as reported by the Washington Post . Hillary appeared to be caught by surprise and annoyed by the question, as orginally asked by CNN Reporter Anderson Cooper.
Her “partner in government” quote may indeed come back to haunt her as well, especially considering she is in the fight of her life against a populist, highly-liberal candidate in Bernie Sanders. Bernie is not only gaining on her, but he is also tightening the race in California. Sanders has been fond of criticizing Hillary Clinton for her ties to Wall Street and for her speeches to Goldman Sachs and other large banks. One of the other areas he likes to highlight would be Hillary Clinton’s husband’s repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, which prohibits banks from running rampant in the investment business. Per a CBS News source, Hillary is also opposed to reinstating the law even though some economic experts blame the repeal of the law on the 2008 recession.
Look for Hillary Clinton to continually come under fire for her “partner in government” quote she made way back in 2005. Besides the rhetoric of Sanders where he claims she is tied to the big banks, the quote and her close ties to the organization make it look like Goldman Sachs is attempting to buy influence with her. It is definitely not something Hillary Clinton needs at this juncture, especially considering her email controversy and her Benghazi woes as well.
AP Photo/Mark Lennihan