WaPo | Two powerful organizations within the Democratic establishment announced steps Friday that have the potential to
provide substantial financial firepower to presidential contender Hillary Clinton by drawing on the support of
wealthy donors and corporate interests.
While providing a likely boost to Clinton, both developments also give rival Bernie Sanders fresh fodder to highlight
her relationship with Wall Street and other special interests at a time when the two candidates are locked in an
intense nomination fight.
Priorities USA Action, the main super PAC supporting Clinton, unleashed a $5 million infusion of spending on her
behalf, upending plans to hold its fire until the general election.
The move calls attention to growing concern within
the party’s leadership that her campaign may be in trouble, and it underscores how crucial several upcoming contests
have become in Clinton’s battle with Sanders, a senator from Vermont
In addition, the Democratic National Committee announced that it had rolled back restrictions introduced by
presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008 that banned donations from federal lobbyists and political action
committees.
Both actions offer the potential for financial benefit for Clinton. But both also could backfire.
Sanders has gained traction with his core argument that special interests have “rigged” the economy against the
lower and middle classes. Although Clinton has repeatedly denied that she has been influenced by donations or
speaking fees from Wall Street, the likely new flow of money to her campaign could add grist to Sanders’s case.
As if to prove the point, the Sanders campaign issued a news release Friday with this headline: “Clinton Wall StreetFunded
Super PAC Enters Democratic Primary Against Sanders.” And later in the day, Sanders’s campaign
communications director, Michael Briggs, called the DNC decision “an unfortunate step backward. We support the
restrictions that President Obama put in place at the DNC, and we hope Secretary Clinton will join us in supporting
the president.”
