* Money shocker! Hillary Clinton's campaign debt soars

(*UPDATE: Due to a mathematical error, Hillary Clinton's loans to herself were added twice in the calculation of this item. Her total debts are about $21 million, not $31 million. A corrected item covering the first five paragraphs of this one has been published here.)

No wonder Sen. Hillary Clinton was so late filing her required campaign financial reports Tuesday night. Her political team didn't want the shocking news in it to overshadow her lopsided thumping of Sen. Barack Obama in Kentucky.

But here's the morning after, pay-up time. Clinton's campaign debt has now soared to nearly $31 million, according to numbers crunched early this morning by The Times' campaign finance guru, Dan Morain.

She added another $9.5 million in unpaid bills to vendors this last month alone, pushing her total debt to vendors and herself to the new astronomical figure, about a 50% debt increase in one month.

According to a campaign release put out Tuesday evening as election returns revealed her big win in Kentucky and loss in Oregon, Clinton raised "approximately $22 million" from other people in April. The release also touted that $10 million had poured in within 48 hours of another lopsided Clinton victory over Obama, that one in Pennsylvania, and said it was the second best fund-raising month of her entire campaign.

But the number collected is actually closer to $21 million and the release also neglected to mention that she spent $28.9 million, nearly $8 million more than she took in. She used personal loans to make up part of the difference. She also delayed payments to consultants. Including the $9.5 million in unpaid bills from April, she owes consultants and other vendors $19.5 million. Not to mention the total $11.4 million she has loaned herself.

For other campaign finance figures, including surprising financial success by the Republican Party aided by the president, continue reading below the video.

The likely Democratic nominee Obama continues to vastly out-raise Sen. John McCain, but the presumed Republican nominee is closing the money gap with the significant help of his party, according to new campaign finance reports filed Tuesday.

McCain disclosed he had $21.7 million in the bank at the end of April, compared with ...

... Obama’s $46.5 million. But the Republican National Committee is proving to be a real financial equalizer for the Arizona senator with the notorious distaste for fund-raising.

With significant time and help from President George W. Bush, the RNC ended April with $40.6 million in the bank -- 10 times more than the Democratic National Committee, which had a modest $4.4 million in the bank.

The Democratic Party's fund-raising also was a fraction of the Republicans' in April -- a mere $4.7 million, compared with $19.8 million for the RNC.

The DNC’s cash in the bank actually fell from its March total, which was $5.3 million. Democrats have tapped former Vice President Al Gore in an effort to draw donors to party fund-raisers.

Party money can be used to help the nominees in a variety of direct and indirect ways during the general election campaign. Parties can pay for voter registration, voter turnout efforts and advertising.

McCain’s primary fight has long been over, which allowed him to limit spending to $6.4 million last month. Democratic front-runner Obama raised $31.9 million last month and spent $36.4 million, according to his report filed late Tuesday.

McCain disclosed he received $17.8 million in contributions in April, pushing his total receipts to $100.4 million for the whole campaign, less than half of Obama's total of $266.6 million since January 2007.

The freshman Illinois Democrat scooped up $31.9 million last month, a 20% drop from the $40 million he raised in March. He collected $55 million back in February, which seems millions of dollars ago, doesn't it?

-- Andrew Malcolm

Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[robert p]

All I can say as an immigrant from Canada that I hope the American public realizes the Clintons for what they really. are.
Power hungry people who could not organise a 1 man parade nor tell the truth even to themselves. We need someone who truly understands the issues facing America. Security, Fiscal Responsibility and Honesty. GO JOHN McCAIN

[Samy]

Why is it cool when nearly 100% of blacks canvas and parade to vote for Obama, but blatantly racist when 60% of the whites vote for the first woman contending for the Presidency? Why is it OK to attack and mercilessly mock Bill and Chelsea campaigning for Hillary, but so sinister to question Michelle's loyalties (the potential first lady) in light of her daring admission that "after all these years (listening to Rev. Wright) she is finally proud to be an American” on the eve of Democratic nomination! Is everyone supposed to applaud that inspiring statement - like the moronic loud mouths Mathews and Doberman do?
Why is Obama's condescending, cocky, elitist, intellectual arogance, cloaked in hollow rhetoric, viewed as a virtue by the media, but Hillary’s mannerisms and hyperbole on Bosnian snipers sufficient to totally smear her character and qualifications for a political position that often rewards such attributes (Regan, Bushes)?
Why is it that the Hillary backers showing up on cable –shows so defensive and cautious in attacking Barack while the latter's fervent supporters cannot conceal their glee over Obama or their misogynistic or racist view on Hillary (yes Black racism is very evident in the media!)
Why are cyberspace and cable TV so viciously and overwhelmingly anti-Hillary while the Teflon Obama is being fawned and coddled as a Messiah? Is all this evidence of an underground cult or is it the work egg heads getting paid to skip classes and inundate the blogosphere to demonize Hillary and deify Obama in order to cover their tuition costs?

I am neither white nor black, neither Christian nor Muslim, but a fair minded, neutral, and concerned citizen totally aghast at how the media and the so called 'pundits' are once again shaping this election and crowning a new tool - just as they did eight and four years back with terrible consequences to the country’s image, economy and future well being - not to mention the thousands of innocent lives lost in a premeditated, senseless, war cheer leaded by the same media and the pundits. Now it is the radical left’s turn to unleash its agenda just as the radical neocons did over the past eight years. Guess a middle ground is too boring for the ratings driven media!

[Mad Non-Partisan]

You people press people are despicable.

This is just another display of how much you press people are biased towards Barack throw-my-gramma-and-my-pastor-wright-and-the-flag-pin-under-the-bus obama.

You live in this man's pocket. What perks has he setup for you anyway?

Regardless of whether or not you report it, HILLARY CLINTON MOPPED UP OBAMA YESTERDAY. There, there's your headline.

Hillary is a winner, regardless of whether our shameful press is trying to elect Obama or not.

The media sucks.

What planet are you from again?

Who programmed you anyway?

[badguy]

HRC has lent over $11 Mil to her own campaign, and she is $31 Mil in debt. Let's see which campaign debts are paid first.

[Jim]

I think that this is more indicative of her LEADERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING ABILITY than any 3 AM wake up call advertisement or chest pounding about her "experience". We need a President ( and even a candidate) that has the ability to constantly assess information as it becomes available and respond accordingly. It is nothing more than arrogance and hubris that drives her to stay in the race, burning money that she doesn't have, in the face of overwhelming logic. Thank God we find this out now before it is too late. She talks about how deep her support is but the more telling litmus test is peoples unwillingness to support her where it actually matters. Enough is enough, Hillary. You are proving all your pundits right.

[Frank Fuentes]

She couldn't put a health plan together WHILE in the White House & in charge of it & now she can't run a campaign & she wants to run the country?
Is this how she plans on running the economy?

[pmktwo]

Q. hrc have you paid off your debts for your ny senatorial election?
Q. hrc have you finally paid off your debt to the nyc deli owner who had to sue you?
Q. hrc were all of the unpaid "invoices" and non invoiced bills counted to arrive at this -$31m figure?
hell, i would run for president using someone else's dime.
your personal loans to your campaign will be written off as unpaid debts on your 2008 taxes, giving you an even larger tax deduction that you don't deserve.
keep on running to november, if you like. DO IT ON YOUR DIME
hrc your campaign is a wreck-hell of a way to run a railroad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Richardson]

laj, thanks for your deep insights, please explain the following -

"WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democrat Barack Obama has opened an 8-point national lead on Republican John McCain as the U.S. presidential rivals turn their focus to a general election race, according to a Reuters/Zogby poll released on Wednesday.

Obama, who was tied with McCain in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup last month, moved to a 48 percent to 40 percent lead over the Arizona senator in May as he took command of his grueling Democratic presidential duel with rival Hillary Clinton."

[Anon]

Aint that just like a woman - give her a credit card and she runs it up to the limit.

[Dave Miner]

Me want beer and whiskey with Hillary. She good tricker! She funny say sniper attack her and daughter. Ha ha! Funny joke! She good President. Real good yeah! She shoot gun she good President! She real pretty. Me want beer with her!

[mel]

Laj-- the elites and blacks? Wow-- you really believe all that stereotyping garbage on your television. I'm not even sure what an elite is-- maybe a politician who makes 100 million in five years from corporate greasing? (that would be Clinton) or someone who sits on the board union busting walmart? (Clinton). Or how about McCain? A former veteran who opposes educational benefits for our veterans. Perhaps you mean the well informed and blacks. We all have the capacity to think for ourselves and research the issues.

[Ren]

Put the Communist Osama, er Obama in office you left wing goofballs.

[Bart Johnson]

This is what non-conservative politicians (and I include W. in that camp) do, folks - they spend other people's money to buy your votes today!

So far they've racked up a national debt of over 9 TRILLION dollars, plus an additional $53 TRILLION in unfunded "promises" for social security and medicare. But hey, they're going to take care of you!

Do you hear any of the three candidates talking about how they're going to dig us out of this hole? Of course not. Instead, you hear about how you need "free" health care, college tuition, day care, blah, blah, blah.

Meanwhile, the dollar turns to dust before our very eyes, and we wonder why.

[Mike Smith]

You refer to Clinton's 9% victory in Pennsylvania as "lopsided?" How is 9% lopsided? The word means "characterized by the domination of one competitor over the other. Getting 9% more than the other is a victory, but not a lopsided one.

[lynn]

The Posters here sound like mindless cowards. This woman is trying to regain control of the White House -- gee, do you recall who it was who put us trillions of dollars into debt? Clinton years were peace and prosperity. Guess we could hide our heads in the sand and forget all that while another regime takes over the White House and succeeds in making us a third world country. It's too bad this campaign had to cost so much, but you shouldn't criticize someone for giving it her all for what she believes in and wants. Yeah, maybe she should issue $600 checks to every tax payer... idiots...

[JM]

You can bet Slick Hilly will pay herself back and make promises to the others she owes money.Just like all the lies and promises she made in her campaign that she knows she can't keep.What a disgrace the Democratic party has become.

[Rick]

This is exactly what the newspapers and people have been talking about! The Clintons are great at spending the peoples money and making sure that the taxpayer pays all there debt or just some poor sucker that stupidly does business with these losers!!!

Stop the madness and just go away Bill and Hilliary you have embarrassed the american people enough!!!

[Rich]

Even Hillary supporters have to say that if she doesn't pay this money back, at minimum to the vendors she owes money to, she not only shouldnt be president - she shouldnt be a senator either - thats stealing. Anyone who supports this activity should send Hillary a check now and put your money where your mouth is to help her pay this debt.

[StopDigging]

The first step to getting out of a hole is to stop digging.

[tiger]

This woman is delusional and hell bent on getting the nomination or destroying Obama's chances of winning the Presidency. She is in so much debt; how could she possibly make the case that she can help Americans when it comes to the ECONOMY? She likes to hearken back to the Clinton years when we (Americans) saw prosperity but much of that prosperity was due to Silicon Valley and the computer/internet boom. Meanwhile the REAL nominee continues to raise money. Barrack has raised MORE MONEY THAN ANY CANDIDATE IN THE HISTORY OF CAMPAIGNING! The guy has raised over one quarter of a BILLION DOLLARS! And Hillary, well SHE'S $31 MILLION in DEBT! This speaks VOLUMES and it tells me that the people have spoken. If I were John McCain I would be REALLY WORRIED.

[Hudson]

Ever remember the saying "A fool and His (her) money are soon parted?" The vendors and consultants need to wake up and end their charity work.

[gail]

Blindsided and broke - she sure wasn't ready for Obama on Day One. She can't manage finances.

Is this who Kentucky and W. Virginia want running their country?

You have to think about that!

Vote for a winner - Vote Obama!

[Jamie]

What ever happened to all her white working class supporters?

[Hudson]

Ever remember the saying "A fool and His (her) money are soon parted?" The vendors and consultants need to wake up and end their charity work.

[Scott]

Big deal; its not like Hillary or her husband have any shortage of money, and if she wants to spend it this way, its really not an issue of particular concern. Obama, in the meantime, had better start sucking up to Clinton,s supporters, particularly older women, and dems in the rust belt -- the risk is that these people simply won't vote in November, and if they do, they'll effective handing the election to McCain. Ultimately, Obama needs to stop talking and deliver more solid, specific plans on issues like providing universal healthcare for segments of the population besides children -- something his rhetoric has yet to address.