Sanders Hits Back at Clinton's Claims That He Took Wall Street Money

The Clinton campaign claimed that Sanders got the money through an intermediary.

ByABC News
February 8, 2016, 10:50 PM

— -- Bernie Sanders’ campaign took on Hillary Clinton's newest line of attack just one day before the New Hampshire primary -- calling the claim that the senator received campaign donations from Wall Street several years ago “absurd” and “false.”

“It is very disturbing that, as the Clinton campaign struggles through Iowa and New Hampshire, they have become increasingly negative and dishonest,” Sanders’ campaign manager Jeff Weaver said in a statement.

“Today’s attack from Secretary Clinton, [whose] super PAC received $15 million from Wall Street, is even more absurd. Bernie Sanders, who has never accepted corporate PAC money in his life.”

Earlier this week CNN reported that Sanders attended fundraisers on behalf of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) along with other senators, which were attended by lobbyists from the financial industry.

Clinton today accused Sanders of taking money from Wall Street, through that committee. However, when asked to provide documentation to back up the former Secretary of State’s claims, the campaign said Wall Street firms such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs gave to the DSCC and that the DSCC had in turn given to Sanders 2006 Senatorial race as well as the Vermont Democratic Party.

The DSCC’s primary function is to provide grassroots organization and fundraising support for Democratic senators up election.

“Senator Sanders took about $200,000 from Wall Street firms, not directly but through the democratic senate campaign committee. You know, there is nothing wrong with that. It hasn’t changed his view, well it didn’t change my view or my vote either,” Clinton said while campaigning in New Hampshire on the eve of the primary in the state.

The Sanders campaign was quick to fire back, arguing that the committee solicits donations from many entities and that Sanders, unlike Clinton, does not have a super PAC for his presidential campaign.

“Bernie appreciates the help he has gotten from the DSCC, whose funds come from millions of Americans’ individual contributions, labor organizations, environmental groups, women’s organizations and others. To say that every nickel that Bernie received came from Wall Street is beyond preposterous,” Weaver said.