Disclosure reports show Clinton still deeply in debt
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2008/images/08/21/art.clintondebt.gi.jpg caption="Clinton is still carrying a sizeable campaign debt."](CNN) - Well over two months have passed since Hillary Clinton formally abandoned her White House bid, but newly-released Federal Election Commission reports show the New York senator has made little headway in paying off her sizeable campaign debt.
According to an FEC report filed Wednesday, Clinton's debt as of the end of July stood at just under $24 million - a decrease of only $1.2 million since the end of June. More than $13 million of that total is owed to the New York senator herself, while close to $11 million is owed to individual vendors. Clinton has suggested she is not seeking to pay back the money she owes herself.
The report also shows Clinton was only able to raise $2 million in the month of July - down from close to $3 million in June. By comparison, Barack Obama raised over $50 million for his White House bid in the same time period.
The report comes as some high-profile Clinton backers have expressed disappointment Obama has not made more of an effort to help his onetime rival retire her campaign debt.
“He has provided her with a pittance compared to what the Clintons have given Obama,” prominent Clinton backer Lynn Forrester told the Times of London. “Her debt could have been cleared within 10 days. It’s ungracious.”
Obama and Clinton have appeared at a handful of joint fundraising events, and the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee has publicly urged his supporters to donate to his former primary season rival - though at a joint appearance with Clinton at a July fundraiser, the Illinois senator forgot to call on his backers to contribute to her. (He later went back on stage to correct himself.)
According to Clinton's disclosure forms filed Thursday, she owes the most ($5.2 million) to her former top advisor Mark Penn's polling/political consulting firm, Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates.
If hillary's supporters are SOOO loyal they should repay it. If i donate to Obama's campaign I don't wanna see all my donation go to Clinton when I never liked her. She wouldn't have as much of this debt if she dropped out after Indiana And North Carolina had their primaries at the latest! He shouldn't have to pay for her mistakes. If I am running in a race and my only opponent brakes their leg, why should I have to pay the medical bill?
Obama has better things he should be spending our donations on right now than hillary.
Dear 18 Million Clinton Voters, get online and donate one dollar. Don't drink a coffee for one day and donate her a dollar. Then she won't be in debt anymore. I am an Obama supporter and I went to Hillary's site to donate, you should too. Let's finish it up for her so she can get back to the business of being a senator. Thanks.
poor management, she was not spending her money as if she was having a lavish vacation she had all that experience and also her staff , it was spent to fulfill her long cherished dream, so she has manage it on her own, wht ever the words were ready from day 1, doesn't make sense now, if you can't carry ones own financial mess what you will do for economy and rest of mess.
all politician have there own agenda and political ambition and nothing as big as President of United States, same for her.
And at the end, Clinton's are rich now like any average American, nothing big, there are not loosing any housing payment, EMI or their life style because of this.
Errrrrrrrr, ummmmmmm...
I'm just askin', but does Obama have any real obligation to pay off Hillary's debt?
I've never heard of anyone doing that before, so I'm just wondering...
Since when did the winning candidate become responsible for the losing candidates debts?
The fact that he offered shows his maturity and professionalism. I would not have given the old bag anything!!
Now her supporters have the audacity to criticize Obama for not clearing here debt fast enough!
How could you guys expect her to win, she doesn't even know how to loose!
We need to be honest about this...Senator Clinton continued to run up the bill leaving several vendors hanging and a mountain of debt when she knew long before that she would not catch up with Senator Obama. Remember the lavish partying in Puerto Rico? Her pride and lack of graciousness caused this not Senator Obama nor his supporters. How in the world can the American people trust her to run our country which is already in debt when she made the decision to not bow out graciously when she knew it was over? Senator Obama is not to blame for this and those who are truthful with themselves know this.
poor management, she was not spending her money as if she was having a lavish vacation she had all that experience and also her staff , it was spent to fulfill her long cherished dream, so she has manage it on her own, wht ever the words were ready from day 1, doesn't make sense now, if you can't carry ones own financial mess what you will do for economy and rest of mess.
all politician have there own agenda and political ambition and nothing as big as President of United States, same for her.
And at the end, Clinton's are rich not like any average American, nothing big, there are not loosing any housing payment, EMI or their life style because of this.
And she claimed to be able to balance the US Budget....geez what an indicator of failure avoided
Okay PUMA and all of the Women Rights activist. Here is your chance to either put up or shut up.
better yet let the grand old DNC pick up the tab . . . all this money spent by all the candidates on elections is disgusting . . . . BTW I've already given more than my $1.00 to help out . . .
Where are all of her rabid supporters now? If you feel she was cheated, discriminated against, etc; the least you can do is help her retire her debt.
Why should Senator Obama's supporters pay off Senator Clinton's $5 million debt to Mark Penn, who has provided Senator McSame with his campaign strategy to attack Obama? Senator Clinton's supporters will have 8 years of the Obama administration in which to pay off her campaign debts, which were accumulated by a losing campaign strategy of tearing down Obama now so she could run again in 2012.
Bill and Hill are millionaires from book deals and speeches and God knows what else Bill has been able to earn. If Obama wants to help I'd expect him to do it after the campaign, if at all. The Clintons still think they are royalty, and we should all bow to them. Truth be told, we're just not that into you Hill.
Obama actually being able to win is another issue entirely.
Just last night I heard that there is still approximately 24% of Clinton Supporters unwilling to back Barack. By my math that's about 4.4 million people. If each one donated just $6 the debt would more than be repaid. The fact that this is not happening leaves me to believe that the number of HRC supporters still upset is lower than we think. Nice try repubs the real number will be shown on 11-4-2008.
What is also sad is that, as this article, shows she does still have supporters speaking negatively about Barack and the Convention is just next week. And these are so-called top supporters. HRC really needs to get a handle on this. Or, as I said before, it may just be those repubs trying to make us dems disheartened about our chances. But again the real numbers and real support will show on 11-4-2008.
Can't wait, let the Barack party begin.
After "The One" is crowned "Emperor with no Clothes" in Denver, courtesy his $$$$millions, he'll be toast!
McCain for president – a grown-up doing a grown-up job!
What I don't understand is how, if he can't give her any money that his supporters send him, Obama was supposed to do more to fix her debt? I mean, I just don't know what more he could do than ask his supporters to contribute!!
She continued to run long after she had no chance of winning, all the while racking up a huge dept that she now can't pay. Now...one of the big issues in this campaign is judgement. Would any of you PUMA types like to address how this demonstrates good judgement?
She was not able to manage her home, her law firm, her marriage or her campaign. The amazing part to me is that eighteen million people were duped into believing she could run a country.
That my friends is very scary!
Vote John McCain, he is the best candidate for the job.
It's going to be Hillary for VP or it's over for Obama. Period.
HRC, you have the means to pay your bills. Why not just pay your bills, make your speech next and then go somewhere and sit down. Enough is enough.
all the money the hill and bill spent could have feed e poor a lot of food, they only care about the power, it's power. and was very put down they diden't get it, they are not to proud to beg now, let them pay the what they owe from the schems they have pulled. i just wish both of the slime balls would go back to ark, get out of our lifes. poof.just go, i am so sick of both of them, obama? do you know what he would do once he is in the white house? look at detroi, look at flint mi, look at washington d c drive thru those citys look what a back man has done,
No one is gonna pay for a losing candidate – and it's not as if her 80 million remaining in her bank account breaks the Clinton household.
Why don't 18 million of her supporters send her 2 bucks each. That should do it.
For the record, If Clinton screws this election up for Barry, she can forget her run in 4 years. She will be the object of hate for many of the democratic party.
The Clintons are annoying and even more annoying are these PUMA/No Deal people. Go vote for McCain, but at least donate to Clinton since its all about her and something else... I rarely listen to you people because you never say anything of value; "McCain or Clinton" or "McCain '08, Clinton '12" (like that'll EVER happen) or my personal favorite, "If no Clinton, then Nobama!" . So, I can't have a discussion with you about issues, when all you can do is spout our half issues and truths, but I guess it falls right in line with MccCain himself.
I'm sick to death about hearing how Obama is not helping with Clinton's debt. Obama is trying win the Presidency. The Republicans have millions and millions at their disposal. Its up to the Clintons 18 million Clinton supporters to retire her debt. If all 18 million contributed $2.00 a piece, HIllary would have some change left over.
How much you want to bet Mark Penn is behind PUMA, and he's the one encouraging faux Clinton supporters to try to get Obama's campaign money over to Hillary? It's the only way he'll get paid... for doing an absolutely terrible job, one that definitely wasn't worth $5 million.
That's the main reason I would never help Hillary pay down her debt, a big chunk of would be going to Mark Penn, who really is just a terrible human being.