Thursday, April 24, 2008

Clinton Debt Larger Than Reported

Hillary Clinton's campaign debt at the end of March was bigger than it appeared because she didn't list the $5 million she loaned herself, a campaign finance watchdog group reported this afternoon.

Clinton, in her filing with the Federal Election Commission, reported that her campaign had $9 million in cash on hand as of March 30, and $10 million in debts.

"The Clinton campaign itemizes its debts to vendors, totaling $10.3 million by the end of last month, but since January, when Clinton infused her campaign with $5 million, the campaign hasn't been adding in that loan when reporting its overall debt to the Federal Election Commission," the Center for Responsive Politics said.

"An FEC representative tells us Clinton's debt to herself, even if she won't be paying it back, should be lumped in with the campaign's debts to others on the first page of the monthly filings, not just listed deeper within her disclosure forms -- that's how the other big self-funder in 2008, Mitt Romney, reported the $42 million he lent himself."

Including the loan would put her debt as of March 30 at $15.3 million, the nonpartisan group said.

Since winning the Pennsylvania primary on Tuesday, Clinton's campaign says it has raised $10 million and counting online.

No comments: