Hillary Clinton spoke Tuesday about meeting with “a big group of clean renewable energy businesses,” without noting that these companies’ leaders gave financial support to her campaign and received taxpayer subsidies through the stimulus program.
“I met yesterday in Chicago with a big group of clean renewable energy businesses and they’re just ready to go,” Clinton said on the campaign trail in Iowa. “But they need some help from the government.
The meeting was in fact a $2,700-a-head fundraiser at the home of Tonya and Michael Polsky, the CEO and president of Invenergy, and hosted by four others whose companies received “help from the government” in the form of $2.2 billion in taxpayer-funded cash grants to boost wind, solar and hydroelectric-based projects.
The event was one of three fundraisers Clinton attended Monday in the Windy City as she took a break from the campaign trail.
Polsky, who also threw a fundraiser attended by President Obama ahead of the GOP midterm victory in 2014, received over $662 million in funding to boost wind and solar projects by the firm — with various partnerships throughout the country receiving the funds.
Outside of Polsky, Clinton fundraiser hosts Gabriel Alonzo, Mike Garland and Jim Spencer received nearly $1.6 billion combined for projects to push forward renewable and wind-based energy production.
In addition, Kristina Johnson, who is expected to play a role advising Clinton on energy policy, received over $5 million from the massive spending bill to bolster efforts in hydroelectric power.
While Polsky has supported many within the Democratic Party, including Clinton, Illinios Sen. Dick Durbin, and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, he has also backed Republicans in the past. Most recently, Polsky donated $5,000 to the 2014 campaign of Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner, in addition to his past donations to former President George W. Bush and former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who lost his seat last year to Rep. Dave Brat.
Overall, Clinton has been a backer of alternative energy, with an emphasis on solar, during the seven months of her campaign. In July, Clinton pledged to put the U.S. down a path to creating enough renewable energy to power every U.S. home by 2027. The former secretary of state also vowed to have installed over 500 million solar panels across the country by the end of her first term in office.
Clinton called Tuesday for extending the tax credits that make these projects “worthy of investment,” arguing that many jobs will be created as a result.
