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The Progressive

NewsWire

A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Perry Wheeler, Greenpeace Media Officer, P: 301-675-8766

Fact Checkers Miss the Point on Greenpeace Research Into Clinton Fossil Fuel Money

On Thursday, following repeated inquiries from hundreds of activists across the country, Hillary Clinton finally responded to questions about the her campaign's connections to the fossil fuel industry. Clinton's response has since gone viral, and fossil fuel money in the election has become the focus of the campaign for the last three days.

WASHINGTON

On Thursday, following repeated inquiries from hundreds of activists across the country, Hillary Clinton finally responded to questions about the her campaign's connections to the fossil fuel industry. Clinton's response has since gone viral, and fossil fuel money in the election has become the focus of the campaign for the last three days.

Greenpeace and 20 other organizations launched a pledge to fix democracy to all candidates in January, urging them to prioritize money in politics and voting rights, and show their commitment by rejecting fossil fuel money. 350 launched a similar pledge on fossil fuel money in July of 2015.

This weekend, Clinton questioned Greenpeace's research and young people's ability to do their own, stating, "I feel sorry sometimes for the young people who, you know, believe this. They don't do their own research. And I'm glad that we can now point to reliable independent analysis to say no, it's just not true."

In response to Clinton's comments and fact checkers who have questioned Greenpeace research, Greenpeace Democracy Campaign Director Molly Dorozenski said:

"Greenpeace stands by its research. The $300,000 Clinton has received from oil and gas employees is perhaps the smallest piece in a huge puzzle of political influence on Secretary Clinton from the fossil fuel industry. The more important number is the amount of money that lobbyists from the oil and gas industry contribute to the Clinton campaign. That continues to be the leading indicator of influence from the fossil fuel industry.

"Secretary Clinton has taken more than $1.4 million in direct and bundled contributions from 58 lobbyists connected to the fossil fuel industry. That is where the influence peddling happens, and that is what needs to be addressed immediately. The Clinton campaign has already rejected money from top executives and lobbyists for the private prison industry -- it should be an easy decision to acknowledge the same influence and reject the agenda fossil fuel lobbyists are selling. We want Clinton, and all of the Republican presidential candidates for that matter, to reject money from top executives at these companies and any lobbyists or bundlers that push their dirty fossil fuel agenda. In fact, Greenpeace believes that presidential candidates should take it a step further and reject money from all registered lobbyists."

The 58 lobbyists who have contributed to Clinton's campaign are listed on Greenpeace's site here: https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaign-updates/fossil-fuel-lobbyists-contributions-to-the-clinton-campaign/

On rejecting lobbyist donations for his campaign and the DNC in 2008, Obama stated, "We will not take a dime from Washington lobbyists or special interest PACs. We're going to change how Washington works. They will not fund my party. They will not run our White House. And they will not drown out the voice of the American people when I'm president of the United States of America."

Greenpeace is a global, independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future.

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