Admits support
The billionaire revoked his previous promise to Bloomberg that he would not be revealing which candidate he is backing by telling CNN host Fareed Zakaria: “I’m supportive of Hillary Clinton,” on Sunday’s episode of ‘GPS’.
“I’m supportive of Hillary Clinton,” Blankfein said. “Yes, so flat out, yes, I do. That doesn’t say that I agree with all of her policies. I don’t. And that doesn’t say that I adopt everything that she’s done in her political career or has suggested that she might do going forward.”
Clinton’s close relationship with Wall Street has been criticized by both ends of the political spectrum.
CEO Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, tells @CNN he “Doesn’t Know” if Hillary Clinton could regulate Banks given Her Ties to them#MAGApic.twitter.com/fMTeAsBNT8
— MAGANIFICENT (@MAGANIFICENT) October 23, 2016
The presidential candidate earned a reported $3 million for speaking at banks and financial firms in 2013, months after she had stepped down as secretary of state. A total of $675,000 of those earnings stemmed from three speeches at Goldman Sachs.
Transcripts from the Goldman Sachs speeches were released by WikiLeaks on October 15 as part of the massive hack into Hillary’s campaign chair John Podesta’s emails.
During the interview, Blankfein dismissed criticism of the powerful friendship by arguing that his company needs to engage with Clinton because they have “influence in the financial system.”
“We’re one of the larger banks,” Blankfein said. “We have influence in the financial system. Of course we engage.”
