Hillary Clinton on Wednesday tore into film producer Harvey Weinstein over the plethora of sexual abuse allegations against him, vaguely suggesting she would give away the money he’s contributed to her political campaigns.
The 2016 presidential candidate told CNN’s Fareed Zakaria that she would “of course” donate Weinstein’s campaign contributions to charity, though it remained unclear if and how she would actually do so.
“I give 10 percent of my income to charity every year,” Clinton said. “This will be part of that. There’s no doubt about it.”
Clinton was notably silent on the Weinstein sex abuse allegations for five days after The New York Times published its initial bombshell report last week. She first spoke out on the matter Wednesday in a statement, saying she was “shocked and appalled” by the accusations and praising the alleged victims for their courage to come forward.
Weinstein ― a major fundraiser for the Democratic Party ― personally donated over $17,000 in total to Clinton’s 2016 and 2008 presidential runs, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. He’s helped raise money for the Clintons since the 1990s, hosting fundraisers attended by Hollywood A-listers that helped rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars toward their political campaigns.
Clinton, who rented a home in the Hamptons next to Weinstein in 2015, said Wednesday that she would have considered him a “friend” and was “just sick” over his “intolerable” alleged behavior.
“This was a different side of a person that I and many others had known in the past,” Clinton said. “People in Democratic politics for a couple of decades appreciated his help and support.”
Other Democratic players, including Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have announced more defined commitments to donate any political contributions Weinstein may have made to them. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) said Friday that she would give away $5,000 in contributions from Weinstein to a California-based organization that advocates for women’s equality.