Clinton Tells Student Concerned about Fossil Fuel Donations "Go Read the Articles"

Last week, in response to an activist asking Hillary Clinton if she will refuse money from fossil fuel lobbyists, the Democratic presidential candidate asserted that she "is so sick of the Sanders campaign lying" about her. Last night, Sage Lincoln, a senior at the University of Pittsburgh and a leader with Pitt Divest, followed up at a campaign event asking Clinton if she would refuse donations from registered fracking lobbyists. In response, the former Secretary of State laughed and told Lincoln to "go read the articles."

Reports confirm that Clinton's biggest campaign bundlers have come from fossil fuel lobbyists. According to a recent report from Greenpeace, fossil fuel interests have pumped more than $4.5 million into Clinton's campaign and supportive super PACs during the 2016 election cycle. The Clinton campaign has received donations from industry lobbyists including ExxonMobil's Theresa Fariello.

"I grew up in Pittsburgh, and despite having no family history of asthma me and two of my siblings have developed it. One of the reasons for the bad air quality is clear: there is fracking occurring everywhere in Southwestern Pennsylvania. It's in our county parks, our backyards, and even within a stone's throw of the nearby Mars School District. Climate change is dramatically impacting us globally and locally, and we must do everything in our power to curb emissions." said Sage Lincoln. "We need strong governmental action now -- this includes rejecting money from fossil fuel lobbyists."

Young people across the country have been asking about Clinton's ties to the fossil fuel industry since July. Days after the conclusion of the Paris climate talks, Clinton vowed to look into fossil fuel donations to her campaign.

"While Clinton laughs this off, voters who care about our climate and the influence of money in politics are still really disturbed by her continued acceptance of these industry donations," said Yong Jung Cho, spokesperson for 350 Action. "If Clinton wants to prove she is a climate leader that will keep fossil fuels in the ground, she needs to pledge to refuse these donations, and she needs to do it now."

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Full Transcript:

Sage Lincoln: Hi, will you reject money from registered fracking lobbyists?

Hillary Clinton: [Laughs]

Lincoln: Will you?

Clinton: Go read the articles, I've debunked all of that.

Lincoln: We've done our research.