Hillary Clinton broke six days of silence on the Harvey Weinstein scandal hours after he was alleged to have committed three rapes, saying she was ‘shocked and appalled’ – but saying nothing about returning his tainted donations.
The 2016 presidential loser issued a statement through her spokesman saying his behavior ‘cannot be tolerated’ – shortly after Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Joloie said they too were victims.
‘I was shocked and appalled by the revelations about Harvey Weinstein,’ Clintoin said.
‘The behavior described by the women coming forward cannot be tolerated. Their courage and the support of others is critical in helping to stop this kind of behaviour.’
Her statement ended silence but left open the crucial issue of the vast amount of cash Weinstein donated directly to her and her family, and brought in frm his celebrity friends.
And it came after two public appearances in which she said nothing about her mega-donor friend’s sexual harassment scandal, even as she spoke atone, at UC Davis on Monday, about the ‘double standards’ faced by women running for president.
The Clinton Foundation has also continued to duck requests for comment from DailyMail.com about its up to $250,000 donor.
The final pressure to speak came from Tim Kaine, her running mate.
Finally: Hillary Clinton’s statement, issued after three rape allegations were leveled at Weinstein and Gwyneth Paltrow and Angelina Jolie said he harassed them
Victim, perpetrator and Clinton: Gwyneth Paltrow said she was a victim of Harvey Weinstein shortly before the 2016 presidential loser finally broke her silence. The three had been seen together at the New York premiere of Shakespeare in Love
It’s like nothing happened: Hillary Clinton charged $125-a-seat to Californians to not hear her condemn Harvey Weinstein
Shamed: CNN anchor Erin Burnett accused Weinstein of getting a ‘pass’ from Hillary Clinton
Bundler: Harvey Weinstein was a huge Hillary Clinton backer, hosting New York fundraisers and maxing out his own donations to her campaign
Happy birthday from Harvey: Hillary Clinton was given a birthday celebration in New York and Weinstein was part of the party in 2000, as she campaigned for the senate
Under pressure: Tim Kaine, who was Clinton’s running mate when she lost, said ‘any leader’ should speak out against Weinstein – and when asked about her silence said: ‘I’m nobody’s press secretary’
Speaking on CNN’s New Day, he said: ‘Any leader should condemn this. These allegations are low-life behavior.
‘Whether it’s in government, business or media, it’s unacceptable and you’ve got to call it out.’
He also distanced himself form the 2016 loser, saying: ‘I’m nobody’s press secretary.’
One of Clinton’s former senior staffers, Patti Solis Doyle, who was her 2008 campaign manager, told CNN it was ‘disappointing’ that her ex-boss ‘hasn’t come out and condemned Harvey Weinstein’. That was before she spoke.
Since the scandal was revealed last Thursday, Clinton has found time to discuss birth control funding and her re-released children’s book It Takes a Village and the problems she says women face in politics.
She has also continued her lucrative speaking tour with engagements at Stanford University and University of California, Davis.
Clinton told the UC Davis audience on Monday about the struggle of running for president as a woman. Ticket prices started at $250, and included a copy of her memoir What Happened.
‘You have to have a high pain threshold, because the double standard is alive and well,’ said Clinton.
‘This is endemic to our political system, to business, to the media, to every part of society. So don’t be afraid to talk about it and take it on.’
The former presidential candidate also weighed in on the recent fire fires in northern California and hurricanes across the U.S.
She said people must start ‘acknowledging climate change and the role that it plays in exacerbating such events.’
Media figures expressed shock that Clinton never once mentioned the sexual harassment allegations against Weinstein during her 90 minute speech.
‘HRC spoke for 90 mins last nite, didn’t mention Harvey Weinstein. She won’t give women a ‘pass’ for not voting for her, but she gave him one,’ wrote CNN’s Erin Burnett on Twitter.
Weinstein was fired from Miramax on Sunday, just a few days after it was revealed he had reached financial settlements with at least eight women regarding sexual harassment allegations over the past two decades.
He is now facing allegations of rape, with Italian star Asia Argento describing to the New Yorker how she was attacked by him in a French hotel room.
Ashley Judd told the New York Times that when she was a young actress Weinstein asked her to watch him shower and tried to give her a massage during a purported business meeting he arranged in his hotel room.
Other women who worked for Miramax reported that Weinstein made similar sexual advances toward them.
Weinstein, a major Democratic political donor, has faced condemnation from Washington politicians and Hollywood celebrities since the scandal was exposed by the New York Times last Thursday.
At least seven Democrats and the Democratic National Committee stepped forward to say they are returning Weinstein’s campaigns donations or re-gifting them to charity.
Happy to be here: Hillary Clinton was the guest of honor as Harvey Weinstein held a fundraiser at his $15 million Manhattan home in June 2016, attended by Huma Abedin, her closest aide, whose pervert husband Anthony Weiner will go to prison next month for sexting a minor
Look who Harvery brought to donate: Weinstein’s dinner at his West Village townhouse saw Jennifer Lopez among the stars who paid $32,500-a-plate to meet Clinton as she campaigned for the White House
Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Booker, both considered likely contenders for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, said they will donate Weinstein’s contributions to charity.
Senators Al Franken, Kristen Gillibrand, Richard Blumenthal, and Martin Heinrich also vowed to return the money.
The Democratic National Committee, which received over $250,000 from Weinstein since 2003, also said it would donate $30,000 to women’s groups.
Weinstein maxed out his political contributions to Clinton with a $5,400 check to her 2016 campaign and $30,000 to her Hillary Victory Fund. He was also a prolific bundler for Clinton and hosted fundraising events where celebrity guests paid thousands to meet with the presidential candidate.
Weinstein also gave between $100,000 and $250,000 to the Clinton Foundation – joining other controversial donors, including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and ex-MF Global CEO Jon Corzine.
A growing chorus of Hollywood celebrities continued to speak out against the movie producer on Monday and Tuesday.
‘I was deeply disturbed to hear the news about Harvey Weinstein’s behavior,’ said Jennifer Lawrence in a statement on Tuesday.
‘I worked with Harvey five years ago and I did not experience any form of harassment personally, nor did I know about any of these allegations. This kind of abuse is inexcusable and absolutely upsetting.’
George Clooney said he heard gossip going back decades that ‘certain actresses had slept with Harvey to get a role,’ but said he ignored these rumors because he found them demeaning to women.
‘The part we’re hearing now about eight women being paid off, I didn’t hear anything about that and I don’t know anyone that did,’ said Clooney. ‘That’s a whole other level and there’s no way you can reconcile that. There’s nothing to say except that it’s indefensible.’
Lena Dunham, who campaigned for Clinton in 2016, wrote a column for the New York Times denouncing those who have stayed silent on Weinstein’s behaviour.
‘[H]ere we are, days later, waiting for Mr. Weinstein’s most powerful collaborators to say something. Anything,’ wrote Dunham. ‘It wouldn’t be just a gift to the women he has victimized, but a message to the women who are watching our industry closely.’