This is what Hillary Clinton talked about in her paid speeches: Snacks, camp, and cars
When asked if she'd ever release transcripts or audio tapes of paid speeches she's previously given, Hillary Clinton said Thursday during the MSNBC Democratic Debate she'd "look into it." That won't be necessary in some cases — numerous people who attended past events have already leaked soundbites from her talks, which focus more on sponsors and industries than her own personal views and insider knowledge.
In July 2015, Elizabeth Williamson of The Wall Street Journal dove into some of the speeches Clinton delivered after she left the State Department and before she entered the Democratic presidential race. Those speeches, especially those given to Wall Street firms, have become a hot topic, but the actual tidbits are on the mundane side. In 2014, Clinton was paid $225,000 to speak about the role of food in diplomacy with the United Fresh Produce Association. An attendee secretly recorded her, WSJ reports, and Clinton can be heard saying as a token of respect for foreign dignitaries, as secretary of state she used to ask for "nuts," "little snacks," and "the occasional cookie" during meetings.
In January 2014, Clinton received $325,000 for a speech to the National Automobile Dealers Association, where she admitted "the last time I actually drove a car myself was 1996," and talked about her yellow Fiat that was stolen in Arkansas in the mid-1970s. During her last speech before declaring her candidacy, in March 2015, Clinton earned $260,000 for speaking at the American Camp Association's tri-state conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where she announced: "Adults need camp, too." Williamson reported that the speeches Clinton gave were mostly just for sponsors, their guests, and paid ticket holders, but Clinton spokesman Nick Merrill said "we always opened speeches when asked to."
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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