Results tagged “campaigndebt”

During her unsuccessful presidential campaign last year, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton racked up more than $12 million in debt which she slowly has been paying off. Now the Daily News reports that she has been selling access to her vast donor database: "Clinton's campaign handlers have rented out the names and addresses of her supporters at least 60 times to a range of buyers, including the Democratic Party, pols and advocacy groups," including Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and her husband's foundation, raising $3.5 million over the last year. The story notes that though the practice of selling donor lists is "not unusual" in Washington, her current boss keeps his own impressive list "under lock and key."

Hillary Clinton may be Secretary of State but she does have to deal with the debt remaining from her 2008 presidential campaign. Which is why strategist James Carville sent an e-mail to Clinton supporters, telling them that if they contribute, they could be entered in contest to win one of three prizes: "Spend a day with President Clinton" in NYC, "attend the American Idol season finale," and a weekend in D.C. talking politics with Carville and Paul Begala. OMG!! You can read the whole e-mail here; donations can be as small as $5 (Clinton's debt is about $6 million). A veteran Republican campaign finance lawyer told the Wall Street Journal, “It’s difficult to pay off $6 million when a losing candidate has already exhausted his or her base contributors. I think the only thing more difficult than raising money to pay a pollster is raising money to pay lawyers.”

While President-elect Barack Obama raised nearly a billion dollars and still has $30 million left, his Secretary of State pick Hillary Clinton still has $7.5 million in campaign debt. According to the Daily News, Ugly Betty star America Ferrera is helping Clinton, whom Ferrera supported during the presidential campaign, by "hosting a 'conversation' in support of Hillary Clinton for President Debt Relief.'" Also expected at the conversation: Bill Clinton. Vice President-elect Joe Biden sent an email to Obama-Biden supporters, asking them to also help with Clinton's debt relief, "Our campaign pledged to help Sen. Hillary Clinton...retire her campaign debt... I saw your generosity and commitment to this team throughout the election, and I know we can do it. Will you make a contribution of $100 or more now to retire Hillary's campaign debt?” The money Clinton owes is mostly for vendors--and $3.5 million is for pollster Mark Penn!