Elections

Senator Supporting Clinton Says She WILL Release Speech Transcripts [VIDEO]

REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

Chuck Ross Investigative Reporter
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New York Sen. [crscore]Kirsten Gillibrand[/crscore], a Hillary Clinton surrogate, veered off message on Friday when she said that the Democratic front-runner will release transcripts of speeches she gave to Wall Street banks.

“I think she will,” Gillibrand told CNN’s Chris Cuomo when asked if Clinton should release the transcripts. “I think she’s been clear that she’s going to,” she continued, adding that she would release the documents if she was in the same position as Clinton.

But that’s not been Clinton’s position throughout the campaign. And it wasn’t her stance during Thursday’s debate with Bernie Sanders. Clinton dodged and denied when asked if she would release transcripts from the speeches — three of which were given to the Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs and earned Clinton $675,000.

Clinton said that she will release the transcripts when other candidates — including Republicans — release theirs. But when CNN’s Dana Bash pointed out in Thursday’s debate that she’s running against a Democratic candidate and Democratic voters want to see the documents, she dodged again and earned boos from the audience.

Gillibrand must not have been watching the contest.

“I think she cares deeply about openness and transparency, and I think she will release those speeches at the appropriate time,” she said Friday.

And when asked if releasing transcripts only when other candidates do the same should be the standard for disclosure, Gillibrand inadvertently criticized Clinton.

“I think everyone makes their own judgment. When I released my taxes and posted my financial disclosure in Congress as a congresswoman, I was the first member of Congress to put up my financial disclosure and put up all my earmark requests,” she said.

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