Fox News anchor Chris Wallace grilled Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York on Monday over holding fundraising events with steep ticket prices.
Wallace pressed Gillibrand on whether access to political candidates was for sale after Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts pledged earlier in the day to nix exclusive fundraisers from her campaign strategy. Meanwhile, a Pfizer executive prepares to host a private Gillibrand event next month where entry costs between $1,000 and $2,700.
“No, but I think you do need to get money out of politics,” Gillibrand said. “The most important thing we have to do is upend the way our Democracy functions. Today, the wealthiest, most powerful lobbyists and special interest groups get to write bills in the dead of night.”
Gillibrand cited a hypothetical “sweetheart deal” between lawmakers and a drug company that meant they didn’t have to buy products in bulk, which would drive prices down for consumers.
“This is a drug executive who’s holding this meeting,” Wallace said.
“And who’s a dear friend who I’ve known for years and years, who believes in my gay rights platform and believes in women’s rights and women’s equality,” Gillibrand responded.
Gillibrand said “of course” she would still attend her fundraiser, adding she didn’t see a contradiction between her plans and Warren’s policy.
“I don’t, because at the end of the day, people are going to support our campaigns because they believe in us,” she told Wallace.
On Monday, Warren urged other Democrats eyeing the presidency to also abstain from spending inordinate time wooing wealthy donors. “If we do this in the primary, we will build the kind of grassroots organization we need to win the general election,” the senator wrote in a Medium blog post.
