Clinton says she's "shocked and appalled" by Weinstein assault revelations
Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is speaking out in the wake of recent allegations that former Weinstein Company executive Harvey Weinstein sexually assaulted and harassed numerous women, saying that she was "shocked and appalled" by the revelations.
"The behavior described by women coming forward cannot be tolerated. Their courage and the support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behavior," said Clinton in a statement on Tuesday.
The former film studio chief has donated to numerous Democratic campaigns over the years and hosted big-spending fundraisers for candidates and the Democratic National Committee alike, bringing together the worlds of politics and the Hollywood elite.
This past election cycle, Weinstein hosted a fundraiser at his home in New York for Clinton's joint fundraising committee, the Hillary Victory Fund in June where approximately 60 people attended, contributing at least $33,400 per person.
Weinstein was also a producer of a sold-out concert fundraiser on Broadway for the Hillary Victory Fund in October of 2016. Billy Crystal hosted, and more than two dozen celebrities performed, including Lin Manuel Miranda, Sara Bareilles, Neil Patrick Harris and Julia Roberts where attendees paid between $45 - $100,000 to attend.
During the 2016 campaign, according to the Federal Election Commission, a receipt from the campaign showed that Weinstein had personally donated $2,700 to the Hillary for America Committee in the general election. He donated an additional $2,700 during the primary election.
Altogether, over the course of the 2016 campaign, a total of $69,880 was donated on behalf of Weinstein to Clinton's Political Action Committee's, her official campaign and the DNC, according to the FEC.
And citing a list released by the Clinton campaign about its bundlers, or more wealthier fundraisers, the Center for Responsive Politics, found that from 1990 to 2016, Weinstein contributed a total of $1,422,683 to the Democratic party.
Pressure for Clinton to publicly condemn Weinstein had mounted in recent days after numerous current senators and members of Congress announced they would be donating Weinstein's contributions to their respective campaigns to charities in support of women.
The DNC announced last week that it would be doing the same, by donating over $30,000 in contributions from Weinstein to the organizations EMILY's List, Emerge America and Higher Heights, "because what we need is more women in power, not men like Trump who continue to show us that they lack respect for more than half of America", according to a statement to CBS News from Xochitl Hinojosa, DNC Communications Director:
"The allegations in the New York Times report are deeply troubling. The Democratic party condemns all forms of sexual harassment and assault," the statement added.
CBS News' Rebecca Shabad, Alan He, Walt Cronkite and Hannah Fraser-Chanpong contributed to this report.
