Opinion: Hillary Clinton’s loan to provide some return

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Bill and Hillary Clinton, who were beset with legal bills when they moved out of the White House, have done all right since then. The most recent financial disclosure statement that, as a senator, Hillary must file showed the couple with an estimated net worth of $17.4 million to $53.7 million (lawmakers only have to report their assets within broad ranges, so more precision is impossible).

As was widely reported, their bank account took a hit recently when Hillary lent her presidential campaign $5 million. But even if she and Bill fall short of another stay at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., they’ll get some return on that loan.

According to information filed Thursday with the Federal Elections Commission, Hillary is charging her own campaign coffers interest of 1.26% on the cash infusion she provided.

That’s a low rate, as a CNN story noted, and it’s not uncommon for candidates to collect some interest on such loans.

But, as the piece also pointed out, Mitt Romney -- who’s much wealthier than the Clintons and also funneled much more of his own dough into his failed presidential quest -- took a pass on the practice.

-- Don Frederick