Democracy Now! (April 4): How Much Has Hillary Clinton's Campaign Taken from Fossil Fuel Companies?

[JDPriestly]

24. I don't know about other professions, but when lawyers examine their client lists and obligations,

the question is not whether the lawyer IS and can be proven to be influenced by a conflict of interest, but rather whether there is the appearance of a conflict of interest that could affect the lawyer's performance in representing the client. I am saying that awkwardly, but here:

It is very difficult to prove the state of mind of a person when voting on a bill in Congress or making an appointment or decision as president. But, we can look at the donations a person has received and determine whether there is the appearance of a conflict of interest.

If you were accused of a crime, say you got in a bar fight and were accused of assaulting another customer in the bar (not because you would do that but because that kind of situation happens frequently), you would probably not hire the mother of the person you were accused of assaulting as your lawyer. She might be very objective. She might know that her child hit you first. But you wouldn't hire her. She might have no actual conflict of interest, but she would have the appearance of a conflict of interest. And if the judge was aware of that appearance of conflict of interest, he/she might ask you whether you were aware of it.

Hillary has taken a fairly sizable amount of money from the fossil fuel industry directly and indirectly. That creates the appearance of a conflict of interest. She is a lawyer and knows very well that she should take the pledge not to take any more of that kind of money.

The question is not whether the candidates are in practice influenced by the fossil fuel industry donations. The question is whether there is the appearance that they may be influenced by the donations of people who work in the fossil fuel industry or lobbyists for the fossil fuel industry.

Bernie does not take donations from individuals or interests that are large enough to create the appearance of a conflict of interest.