Corrected Item: Clinton's campaign debts at $20.88 million

This is an item correcting the campaign debts of the Democratic presidential campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton as previously reported in The Ticket.

Due to a mathematical error, the $11.4 million she had previously loaned herself was counted twice, producing an incorrect total of nearly $31 million.

The actual total debt of her campaign, as reported in the campaign finance filing for April, is $10 million in loans to herself plus $9.48 million in unpaid bills.

Additionally, campaign officials said the New York senator gave herself another $1.4 million loan in May, producing a total current debt of $20.88 million. But the latest loan that occurred in May will not show up on finance filings until next month.

The other numbers for Sen. Clinton and other candidates' financial reports stand as written in the original item.

Comments

[dave]

how many people read the words, and do not understand: mccain's position as the preemptively-declared, presumptous would-be-nominee is completely fake: an advertising/pr(opaganda) product, made by hired whores. the same could be said for obama, or for clinton, whatever their respective standings. how many will wake up to see that something's wrong when two or three people will spend a billion dollars to get a 'job' that 'pays' perhaps a million? who accounts for the difference, and the astronomic 'investment returns,' if not you? and if you don't pay now, and not in dollars, it will be with your liberty, and by selling into slavery not just yourself, but your posterity. when (rarely) someone with integrity, like candidate for PRESIDENT, RON PAUL comes along to venture to defend liberty, prosperity and peace, the birthright of the people, this is not for profit but for love. whether people will snap awake from their hypnosis, and stop to idolize their greed, and stop to glorify deceit - it's up to them, it's up to you.

[08vote]

Hillary applies the kitchen sink strategy on Obama, goes into way deep political campaign debt, and then expects the Obama campaing to pick up a part of her financial liabilities? How much is the Obama campaign willing to pay, for Hillary and Bill to go away?

[MissClarity]

Come on you guys. She can't even run a campaign and it's financial responsibiliies. She's helter skekter in her running of her mouth and Americans deserve more than a chip on the should claim to be courage and lies claimed to be oversights. They are what they are - a strggle for sanity by her rules and life just isn't like that as witnessed by her hate messages and using the AP's Associated Press supporters of Clinton) wording in an article "white voter . . . " using is over and over again as a racist and claiming only to repeat the article. What folley. DLINTON IS NOT WORTHY OF THE TRUST OF THE CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE WORLD. PERIOD.

[David]

If Hillary is for the people as she claims to be, she should donate the 11 millon plus that she lend to her candidacy and forget about the money. She has so much money that she does not need to claim it back. On the other hand, Barack should not take over her debt. I believe that people who donated money to his candidacy gave mnoey to beat "the hated hillary" and not to pay her back.If Barack pays back to Hillary, he would be deceiving to his supporters Hillary is too rich to claim that money back. So, Hillary, be good for once and donate that money to your democratic party.

[Mr. Big Stuff]

I still haven't learned from any news media how the hell you loan yourself money though I've asked quite a few times in various places how that's possible. Also, what rate is she charging herself to loan herself money?

[Janet]

Don't you think that you should pull your original (incorrect) news story? Or is it all about being inflammatory and making headlines?

[Since the item is already circulating, and captured on search engines, it made more sense to us to correct the original and post this update. And the protocol is transparency, not to try to hide the mistake by removing it but to make clear what was wrong for all to see.]

[4OBAMA]

Want Obama to wind in November? Somebody draft Caroline Kennedy for VP!

[Ron]

WOW... that makes me feel better, now that I know that she is only in debt 20.88 million, if you don't count Michigan and Florida.

[Nik]

She's broke and still whining, but she refuses to quit. She'll dump millions into a campaign that by now she has to know she can't win, but she's doing that because she expects it back. Clinton is the same old same old.

[Ron]

I wonder if she is charging interest on the money that she loaned her campaign ?

[Bill]

The only thing that Hillary is doing is assuring her place in history as the female Ralph Nader.

[Dee]

She won't give it up cause I really think she has lost her mind. It's not funny, but scary ! She's in denial.
She can't believe that her "entitlement" went up in smoke!

[BeerBubba]

You sexists!

[NittyGritty08]

Mr. Big Stuff:
Hillary is loaning her campaign money from her private assets. Though we refer to Hillary's private wealth and Hillary's campaign funds similarly they are two distinct financial entities.
This is a guess, but I'd imagine that campaign finance laws would require that interest be accrued on campaign loans or else campaigns might take advantage of that loophole to run-up debts which they pay back later interest free. The future value of the same amount of money today is less because of inflation. That would be making free money off of inflation. Unfortunately, they never let us do that.

[trevor]

o.k., we have all the Hilary bashers here.....

[Kilroy]

Once upon a time, Hillary Clinton mockingly called Barack Obama "naiive". $20 million in debt later, she admits she has an gambling addicition and will seek help after she wins the nomination. LET IT RIDE, BABY!!!

The End

[Jen]

She writes another million dollar check to her campaign and still goes around begging for donations from "regular" folks to keep her in the race. From here on out, Bill and Hillary should just fund everything themselves and stop asking for donations. They take this money and clearly aren't paying the bills, some that are now months overdue. Just eat the loans and don't expect to be repaid--instead, pay off these "regular" small business owners that provided services on a good faith basis and now have to carry the debts on their books. Post election, Bill can schedule a bunch of speeches at $100K a pop and all will be well again with their bank account.

[Terry]

Mr. Big Stuff wrote: I still haven't learned from any news media how the hell you loan yourself money though I've asked quite a few times in various places how that's possible. Also, what rate is she charging herself to loan herself money?
----
Easy. The Clinton campaign committee is a separate legal entity from Hillary herself. It has to be, as candidates cannot use campaign donation for non-campaign purposes. What is referred to in the press, for convenience, as money "loaned to herself" is money that was loaned from Hillary Clinton's (the person) Hillary Clinton for President (the corporation; that is, the campaign committee). Fundamentally, it's no different that any person loaning money to any corporation.

According her FEC filing, she is charging the campaign interest at a rate of 1.26%, which is less than she would get by leaving that same money money in a savings account at her local bank.

[Tony P]

Oh man, I was so concerend with her debt , but now i feel much better that its only 20.88 mil and not 31 mil.

[Gaias Child]

Tell me please, how does a multi-millionaire candidate persuade people that she is the champion of the workers when she does not pay the vendors who were hired by her campaign to help out? How does this work? No, really the question is, how can she believe herself with behaviors like that in the mirror? By what psychological dance step do you fashion yourself mistreated and under-appreciated and competent to run the country when ... obviously your psyche is in painful disarray and your math is imaginary and your debt are to the "hard-working Americans." Really, next time my candidate's campaign calls me I have to find out whether my little dolllars will go to you. It's bad enough that anybody votes for you but I sure don't want to pay your way.

[Rabbit]

So, the campaign is $20.88m in debt, of which $11.4m is a loan from Hillary. Therefore, even with no new spending, 55 CENTS of every dollar donated to Hillary's campaign at this point will be going into HER POCKET to reimburse her loans.... This is no longer a "valiant fight" and "an admirable courage", campaigning is her new job to pay off the way she has mortgaged herself in pursuit of the White House

[Sem]

How could Hilary not balance her our budget and be in great debt and yet talk a lot about this country's economy. You don't have to be college educated to know this and so this put in a simple term, for those white not hightly educated Hillary supports whose pockets are probably hurt the most, wake up and say your goodbye to MRS Hillary Clinton and hello to Obama. If he has amassed over 200 million dollars in campaign money, think about what he will do to our economy and to this country we all love.

[Gotta Laugh]

Hillary's horse is dead on the track, but she keeps kicking it to get up & start running. At least the dead horse knows when to stop 'whining'.

[Steve P]

She was expecting her 'special interest' friends to pick-up the tab but now that they've dropped her (no one likes a loser) she's screwed. Her last hope is to fool her poor, delusional supporters, who barely have enough money to feed themselves, into sending her $5, $10, or whatever they can spare so she can 'pay herself back.' It's really disgusting, it reminds me of the Clinton legal defense fund of the '90s. The good news is that she's shown us what she would have been like as president so now we all know how lucky we are that she's out. By the way, she's been out since March, she was just too ignorant to realize it. All her dirty tricks didn't save her this time.

[sally omally]

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER SHE LOSES. DOES SHE DECLARE BANKRUPTCY SO WE CAN PAY FOR IT? WILL SHE REALLY PAY IT BACK OR ONCE AGAIN SOMEHOW DO WE GET THE DEBT. WHY IS SHE SPENDING MORE THAN SHE'S BRINGING IN? IS THAT THE SIGN OF A GOOD LEADER? CAN ANYONE TELL ME WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL OF THESE MILLIONS IN DEBT AFTER THE CAMPAIGN IS OVER??

[fletc3her]

I have been disappointed by the Clinton campaigns calls for disenfranchising Democrats like myself who participated in caucuses by focusing on the popular vote. Since I participated in the Washington State caucuses I did not vote. If only the popular vote matters then my participation, and the record participation in this state, is simply thrown out.

I attempted to contact the Clinton campaign with this concern, but the voice mail box on their campaign phone number is full and the contact form on their Web site is broken. Apparently, the Clinton campaign is only interested in hearing from donors. They have no interest in hearing from ordinary Americans unless they have wallet in hand.

[dave™©]

You should really update the original post - Digg, for one, still links to that, which is, at the moment, uncorrected.

(No, actually the very first paragraph announces the mistake and links to the new item.)

[Jerome]

One of Hillary's new arguments is going to be that she can bankroll her own campaign - with the money Bill made off speeches abroad. Finally we're going to see some of that oil money coming back into our economy.

[Ralph J.]

RE: " Oh man, I was so concerend with her debt , but now i feel much better that its only 20.88 mil and not 31 mil." by Tony P.

Gees! Only $20 million in debt; Isn't she a lucky lady :-).

[NinaK]

Hilliary and Bill played the racist card in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Since the majority of the residents in these states are uneducated and so imbedded in racism and bigotry, they had the right audience. Hilliary touts those wins as crucial and tries to make those states as the "models" for the rest of America. She & her gang are absolutely dispicable. They conveniently forget the many predominently WHITE states in which Senator Obama has won and by large margins too, states such as Wisconsin, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and many others. Kentucky,Pennsylvania, and West Virginia are but three states out of 50 and are not representative of the rest of America. Hillary touts these states as "crucial to her campaign and how they are the voting "models". Yes, Hilliary, they are SO important to you because THEY REFLECT YOUR OWN RACISM AND BIGOTRY. We do not need or want you as our President! The majority of Americans has spoken and will continue to speak that truth in the coming primaries. I don't care how much you and your campaign twist and spin the numbers and the truth, you CANNOT change the facts.

[NinaK]

FACT: Once again, Hilliary shows her inability to handle her campaign funds. She lends herself another 1.4 Million in May. Hilliary needs to reconsider her priorities and that is to FIRST PAY THE MIDDLE-CLASS FOLKS WHAT SHE OWES THEM FOR SERVICES AND LABOR RENDERED. Some of these debts date back to Iowa!! That woman cannot manage her campaign funds, refuses to pay her debts to the very people she CLAIMS for whom she is "fighting", yet leaves them in limbo. She has also run a poor campaign (no pun intended) filled with inhouse figting and adversity, has fired the campaign manager an the assistant manager, fired aides, fired but didn't fire Mark Penn, has had to reign in her husband who was suffering from a severe case of diarrhia of the mouth, and has employed the use of dirty politics of slash-and-burn tactics, lies, fraud, distortations, slander, deceit and downright uglingess. How can anyone in their right mind vote for such a chaotic and unstable character to lead our country??

[Ro Blume]

Hillary claims that she is a champion for the working populace. But, she soesn't mind "stiffing" them (her campaign vendors) for 9+ million. What do they do to pay bills and buy groceries? Say "Call Hilliary?

[Sam]

What's the difference between donating to a campaign and loaning to a campaign and then that campaign defaulting?

If I understand right, there are limits to how much an individual can donate to a campaign. But what prevents an individual from loaning millions to a campaign even when there is no guarantee that the campaign is ever going to be able to pay you back? Isn't that a bit of a loophole?

[AVN]

If she cannot manage a campaign without racking up massive debts, I doubt she will do much better with the country. I doubt she could cover US budgetary shortfalls with her personal bank account.

[do not pass go...do not collect $200.]

Very little mention of Obama's indebtedness to most slimy
G. Soros and the spiritual pestilence moove on org is made
when financial aspects of the campaign are commented on by the msm. This is most regrettable as the exhorbitant
debt will be paid in huge tax increases by the voters.Moral
decay and economic boondogle will take a humongus toll
on our standard of living and most precious American
family values.

[NinaK]

Very little mention of Obama's indebtedness to most slimy
G. Soros and the spiritual pestilence moove on org is made
when financial aspects of the campaign are commented on by the msm. This is most regrettable as the exhorbitant
debt will be paid in huge tax increases by the voters.Moral
decay and economic boondogle will take a humongus toll
on our standard of living and most precious American
family values.

Posted by: do not pass go...do not collect $200.
----------------------------------------------------------
You are full of lies and slander, suggest you go spit your venum where you came from. Yes, the Clintons have "REAL" familiy vaues, don't they?? Remember Bill and all his sexual exploitations of many, many women and teens? Yes, Monica and others were in their late teens. Suggest you go and google "The Clinton Chronicles" free audio.

[Mr Nerdbird]

Hillary's only chance to win is to get cute fast. That means lose some weight around the butt, get out of those pants suits and perhaps a new hair style.

Also she needs a speech coach. Why does she keep bobbing here head like some goofy puppet. As soon as the audience applauds her head starts nodding up and down. This cannot win her those elusive Independent Voters.

[tony]

she shows around $11,000 of interest due her on her list of accounts payable on the loan.

[superdynamite]

I guess everything evens itself out. Swindling Millions in the Whitewater Real Estate scam, then lose it during a lost campaign.

Easy come, easy go.

[JDS]

Is it possible that Hillary is actually acting responsibly?
If the campaign has 'outstanding bills' (not necessarily 'late') of $9.5M, and she 'loans' the campaign $10M, then she's just covering the 'debt'. I expect Senator Clinton to take on that kind of responsibility, so she earns no praise. However she didn't earn the attacks she's getting today.

A more accurate headline would have been "Hillary Spends $10M"

If Obama pays off her campaign debt and she ends her campaign sooner, then he has spent that money wisely: to get closer to the White House. $10M is probably a bargain compared to the cost of campaigning against Hillary. Obama is in a position to offer that deal because of his supporters. That also means Obama will have more money to expose McCain.

[stu mills]

This is why we need legitimate third parties. 2 parties is not enough to represent the disparate interests of 300M. With more parties, coalitions could form to get things done. Instead of destroying each other from within for power.
If Hillary succeeds in stopping Obama, which I think she will, I think there will be more push than ever for a strong third party to give those of us who want reform, balanced policy, and an end to pandering and fear mongering a choice.

[MikeyBackwards]

I've seen some outrageous statements by both sides over the course of this campaign. I think an examination of how both candidates have prepared for this race in terms of organization, financing, and yes, even rhetoric (one has been consistantly themed while providing evolved positions based upon voter feedback; while the other has 'slogan of the week') speak volumes about a candidate.

Leaving alone the things said in the heat of the campaign about one another; do we really want a candidate whose campaign chants have gone from 'Hillary' to the pilfered and derivative 'Yes She Can' to 'Shame on You' to 'Donate at www.hillaryclinton.com'.

Negotiation is not appeasement. But as Bush's latest Mid-East tour has demonstrated, it needs to be more than begging others to dig us out of a hole of our own making (individually and collectively. I want a candidate who will be bold and innovative in response to challenges, while challenging each of us to be bold and innovative in our own lives.

That is the power of 'just words'.

[Dazir]

Too bad she can't earn money off of all the hate that is directed her way. There's enough on this thread alone too pay for an ad buy. Sad people, really sad.

[Hansy]

Hasn't anyone figured out why she is REALLY "fighting" so hard? Do you really trust her motivations after all you know about her past and her recent, revealing, selfish "misspeakings". She is staying in so she can get donations to pay herself back. They say, "follow the money". No different here. But the problem is that someone is reading this and thinking I am sexist and therefore Hillary is the victim (again). Hell, everyone in the media is calling her tenacious for simply being self-interested!

If you are offended, whoever you are, please realize that equality means if you lose, you lose. Rules are rules. And being a woman does NOT give you special rights. A black guy named Obama that nobody knew beat you despite your huge pre-primary lead and your obvious 8-year posturing for President. YOU were the media darling, YOU were the "presumptive nominee" and YOU couldn't "close the deal". I'd say "be a man" and get over it, but someone would whine.

[goldenstate]

Don't worry about Hillary's debts. She will pay them off. Why is this an issue?

[Lambert Strether, Philadelphia, PA]

Obama trolls? How can I contact Axelrod? I want a job too!

[David]

If she is spending that much to finance her own campaign, where is her support? Good leaders are recognized, nominated, then lifted on the shoulders of those who believe in them. The best leaders are usually the humble ones who never intended to lead in the first place. The only one lifting this woman up is herself, and she has absolutely NO humility. She wants the Whitehouse WAY to badly for this to be any good for the country. Watch and beware, America. If this woman gets in the Whitehouse, the economy will drop almost as fast as her husband's pant did.

[TomPaine]

What isn't reported is the amount of money Clinton has on hand to pay those "debts"... $6 million of the $29 million she has on hand can go to pay off the priamry debts.

OPEN YOUR EYES FOLKS.

And for all you sore winners (whiners?), are you trying to make sure us Hillary supporters won't support Obama???

She has endorsed Obama, but you folks make me want to vote McCain!