Bernie Sanders supporters have been gleefully sharing a story that says "the transcripts of Hillary Clinton's speeches to Goldman Sachs Investment Firm were leaked online today by an unknown source." This is a hoax -- or more politely stated, a satire -- that is true.
The impetus of the report is the controversy over Clinton's large fees for speeches to Wall Street firms, including Goldman Sachs. Sanders supporters have demanded that Clinton make public the transcripts of her private speeches to the firms.
The fake story, which was posted by the Facebook community "Seniors for Sanders," claimed the transcripts were leaked online Monday, February 22, 2016.
"And so I say to you Goldman Sachs, I am on your side. Do not pay attention to the noise of the political season, I will...
Posted by Seniors for Sanders on Monday, February 22, 2016
"Posted onto the file sharing site PasteBin, most of the speeches texts were innocuous. Clinton spoke glowingly about Goldman Sachs, how much money they make and what a great friend they are to her SuperPAC. However, one quote from Hillary has drawn particular fire from observers:
"'And so I say to you Goldman Sachs, I am on your side. Do not pay attention to the noise of the political season, I will always remember your support and put your priorities first, above all else. Thank you.'"
The fictional report quotes an unidentified former Goldman Sachs employee saying "I remember feeling like she worked for us. Now she's telling people what they want to hear so she can get elected. But back then it sounded to us like she was our employee."
At another speech to Goldman Sachs in New York in 2013, Hillary Clinton spoke about how the banks were not to blame for the financial crisis and that she would make sure that the American people would always bail them out "no matter what."
"Posted onto the file sharing site PasteBin, most of the speeches texts were innocuous. Clinton spoke glowingly about Goldman Sachs, how much money they make and what a great friend they are to her SuperPAC. However, one quote from Hillary has drawn particular fire from observers:
"'And so I say to you Goldman Sachs, I am on your side. Do not pay attention to the noise of the political season, I will always remember your support and put your priorities first, above all else. Thank you.'"
The story also included a fiction quote from Clinton's real spokesman, Brian Fallon, confirming the transcripts were authentic.
"It doesn't matter what the truth is, Hillary doesn't work for Goldman Sachs," said Fallon. "She just takes millions in contributions from Wall Street in exchange for no future favors whatsoever. This is Democracy, folks."
If you click on the "about" link at the bottom of the story page, you will see that the website -- TheGoodLordAbove.com -- is self-described as satirical:
"Thou shalt remember that The First Amendment protects satire as a form of free speech and expression. TheGoodLordAbove uses invented names in all of its stories, except in cases where public figures are being satirized. Any other use of real names is accidental and coincidental. TheGoodLordAbove is not intended for readers under 18 years of age."
You may see this fake story on your timeline. Feel free to share this real story under it.
