Sanders aide: Clinton got ‘almost all of the money’ from Clooney fundraiser

A top aide to Democratic presidential Bernie Sanders says a fundraiser hosted by actor George Clooney is only benefiting Hillary Clinton, not any down-ballot Democratic candidates.

“This fundraising arrangement that George Clooney and others have donated into believing that they’re giving money to the down-ballot candidates, two-thirds of that money is going actually to Hillary Clinton,” Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver said on MSNBC on Monday.

{mosads}“Only a third has been going to down-ballot candidates,” he added. “In addition to that, $15 million of that money has gone into other operations that primarily benefit only Secretary Clinton.

“It seems as it’s not working as it’s supposed to, which is to benefit the Party and down-ballot. Almost all of the money is going to Hillary Clinton.”

Clooney hosted two fundraisers last weekend, with an event Friday evening reportedly costing $353,400 a couple.

He said on Sunday that the high price tag benefits not just Clinton but Democratic Congressional candidates too.

“The overwhelming amount of the money that we are raising is not going to Hillary to run for president, it’s going to the down-ticket,” Clooney said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“It’s going to congressmen and senators to try to take back Congress. The reason that’s important, and the reason that’s important to me, is because — I’m a Democrat so if you’re a Republican you’re going to disagree — but we need to take the Senate back and confirm a Supreme Court justice.”

Weaver on Monday said he’s skeptical of the Clinton campaign’s fundraising practices.

“There’s a little bit of question about how this joint-fundraising agreement is working. The Clinton people are doing something very, very unusual in the way that they’re operating this fund.”