2016

Hillary rakes in $45 million in her first quarter

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Hillary Clinton is on track to raise more than $45 million in her first quarter as a candidate, her campaign said on Wednesday, boasting that it represents the biggest-ever primary haul for a candidate’s first three months.

That figure gets the Democratic front-runner nearly halfway to the campaign’s goal of raising $100 million in 2015, and gives the Clinton camp some welcome headlines after the State Department late Tuesday released the latest batch of Clinton’s emails during her time as secretary of state.

While there appeared to be no bombshells in the documents, the files served as a reminder of the controversy tied to Clinton’s exclusive use of private email during her tenure, which has spawned accusations of secrecy and double standards.

On Wednesday, Clinton got to celebrate the fundraising numbers, tweeting that she’s “especially proud” that 91 percent of the donations were $100 or less.

“Just one thing left to say to everyone who has pitched in to support this campaign: Thank you,” she said in another tweet.

Her campaign noted that the figure bests the previous primary record of $41.9 million set by President Barack Obama’s campaign in 2011. It also beats Clinton’s numbers from the first three months of her 2008 bid, when she raised $19 million for the primary.

The Democratic front-runner has been on a cross-country fundraising spree in recent weeks, focusing on house parties with donors who give $2,700 themselves and raise $27,000 overall.

Her final fundraising event of the quarter came on Tuesday night in New York, as the former secretary of state appeared with celebrities including Olivia Wilde, Uzo Aduba, Jason Sudeikis, and Zach Braff at the Terminal 5 concert hall.

Since kicking off her effort with a video and trip to Iowa in mid-April, Clinton has raised money in early-voting states and red states alike, focusing the bulk of her efforts on the New York donor community that has supported her since her time as a senator representing the state. A declared candidate for 81 days, she has raised well over $500,000 per day, on average.

While the campaign’s efforts are expected to be supplemented by the Priorities USA Action super PAC — which is ramping up its own big-money efforts — the $45 million figure is just for the campaign committee. Priorities’ first disclosure for the election cycle is due later this month, but the group got off to a slow start before rejiggering its leadership to empower Clinton loyalists.

Clinton has wrapped up much of the Democratic donor base in a race that has seen her remain the dominant front-runner, even as Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has emerged as her primary opponent.

While Sanders regularly rails against the wealthy and insists he will not allow a super PAC to support his candidacy, Clinton has also taken up the cause of reforming the campaign finance system — despite facing criticism due to her own considerable amounts of political cash.

With the news of Clinton’s haul out, the political world now shifts its focus to the calendar second-quarter figure of Republican Jeb Bush, who has reportedly told donors they have helped him raise his own record-breaking amounts.

Bush grabbed his own share of the spotlight late Tuesday by releasing 33 years’ worth of his tax returns, aiming to portray himself as transparent compared to his Democratic counterpart.

But Clinton’s campaign was quick to note that 30 years of her own tax returns are already public, and that she intends to release more before long.

On Wednesday, the campaign focused on promoting its fundraising prowess, as Clinton tweeted a handwritten thank you note to her supporters and campaign manager Robby Mook sent backers an email touting the haul.

“Some of the Republicans are rumored to have raised $100 million into their war chests, every penny of which they’ll use to tear down our campaign and strengthen theirs,” wrote Mook, referring to Bush.

Campaigns must disclose their second-quarter fundraising totals to the Federal Election Commission by July 15, though figures will likely trickle out between now and then. Clinton’s campaign was the first to volunteer its numbers.