Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonWhat Senate Republicans have said about election-year Supreme Court vacancies Bipartisan praise pours in after Ginsburg's death Trump carries on with rally, unaware of Ginsburg's death MORE is doubling down on a strategy of not releasing transcripts of speeches she gave to Goldman Sachs and other investment banks.

Clinton has refused to release any of the transcripts in the face of a pressure campaign from rival candidate Bernie Sanders Bernie SandersKenosha will be a good bellwether in 2020 Biden's fiscal program: What is the likely market impact? McConnell accuses Democrats of sowing division by 'downplaying progress' on election security MORE, who has relentlessly attacked the Democratic front-runner as being too closely tied to Wall Street.

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“She’s not going to basically create a standard that isn’t applied to anyone else in this race,” said one longtime Clinton ally and confidante of her position on releasing the transcripts.

The issue has been an effective line of attack from Sanders, who has closed the gap with Clinton in national polls.

It also appears to have hurt Clinton, who has seen her favorability rating in polls drop below 50 percent. Just as bad, Clinton has seen her marks fall with Americans when they are asked whether they trust her or see her as honest.

At the same time, Sanders is now coming under growing pressure to pull back on his attacks after Clinton’s big win in New York’s primary. Clinton defeated Sanders in her adopted home state by more than 15 percentage points, a victory that underlined her status as the Democratic front-runner.

Sanders has vowed to fight on but will hear criticism from his colleagues in the Senate if he continually demands that Clinton release the transcripts.

Clinton allies maintain that the issue around releasing the transcripts backfired on Sanders in New York. They also think Wall Street in general and the transcripts in particular won't be as effective an argument in the general election.

For one thing, Republicans as a party are seen as close to the financial industry. Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee, worked as a venture capitalist and was badly hurt by a remark, recorded surreptitiously, that 47 percent of Americans would not vote for him because they were dependant on government handouts.

Sen. Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzSenate Republicans face tough decision on replacing Ginsburg Cruz: Trump should nominate a Supreme Court justice next week Renewed focus on Trump's Supreme Court list after Ginsburg's death MORE (R-Texas) received underlying loan from Goldman Sachs and Citigroup ahead of his presidential campaign. His wife Heidi has taken a leave from her position as a Goldman Sachs managing director.

“As Sanders fades, it becomes less critical,” one longtime adviser to Clinton says of the transcript issue. “The Republicans don’t have the same argument to make — at least half the Goldman Sachs room was probably Republican.”

Clinton has already previewed her line of attack on the issue against Donald Trump Donald John TrumpObama calls on Senate not to fill Ginsburg's vacancy until after election Planned Parenthood: 'The fate of our rights' depends on Ginsburg replacement Progressive group to spend M in ad campaign on Supreme Court vacancy MORE, who remains the favorite to win the GOP nomination.

In an interview this month with The New York Daily News, Clinton said Trump gave lucrative talks to paid audiences, and that she would press him to release the transcripts.

“I have reason to believe that others have made some speeches of some interest,” Clinton said.

“I have reason to believe Donald Trump has, for money, for rather considerable amounts,” she said. “A lot more than I was ever offered.”

Brian Fallon, a senior spokesman for the campaign, underlined Clinton’s position in an interview with The Hill.

“If this is going to be treated as the new normal, she'll be happy to participate and make available anything she has when everyone abides by the same standard,” he said.

Republicans are promising that they’ll make Clinton’s ties to Wall Street an important theme in the general election regardless of their nominee.

“Clinton may win this primary, but she will do it by sidestepping — not answering — those tough questions that Sanders elevated to the daily political conversation,” said Jeff Bechdel, communications director for America Rising PAC, a Republican super-PAC.

“It's especially bad for Clinton because the transcripts have come to represent yet another piece of evidence that Clinton is untrustworthy. Her defensiveness over releasing the transcripts only serves to reinforce the idea that Clinton is a 'typical politician,’” Bechdel said.

Clinton allies, however, are confident the issue will fade once the primary is over.

“She’s not going to deny her rights as a private citizen when no one else is being held to that standard,” the Clinton ally told The Hill. “You have to stand your ground on this issue. There’s no other choice.”