Stephanopoulos: Clinton Debt 'Far Higher' Than Thought

George Stephanopoulos identified the two biggest impediments that the Clinton campaign currently faces in their increasingly improbable hunt for the Democratic nomination. The first, a fundamental disagreement with the DNC over the Michigan and Florida delegations. The second? Mounting debt. News of Clinton eking out an Indiana win got somewhat swamped under on Wednesday with the disclosure that she had loaned herself an additional $6.425 million dollars to keep her campaign aloft. But on Good Morning America, Stephanopoulos suggested that Clinton's debt load might be much higher than has been reported.

[WATCH.]

STEPHANOPOULOS: Two points on Howard's interview. Number one, on Michigan and Florida the problem for the Clinton campaign is that the Democratic National Committee right now simply does not agree with the Clinton position. There's going to be a meeting on May 31st of the Rules and Bylaws Committee. The members of that have signaled pretty clearly that they are not going to simply allow the Michigan and Florida delegations to be seated in full force the way Senator Clinton wants them seated. That makes the path even more difficult than the numbers Chris laid out there. Without Florida and Michigan, there's no path to the nomination. The second big problem for the Clinton campaign right now is money. We know that Senator Clinton loaned herself a little more than $11 million. Going into April, the campaign finance reports show the campaign was carrying a debt of $10 million to $15 million. My sources are noW telling that that number is far higher. The campaign debt is far higher than ten million dollars. It could be double that, maybe even more. And the lack of money and load of that debt could be driving the decisions inside the Clinton camp in coming days.

For those who are fascinated with the vagaries of campaign finance and accounting, Jacob Leibenluft offers an Explainer on the topic of campaign debt over at Slate.

Comments

[WasteNJ]

Hey let's be fair here, what working class Joe wouldn't loan themselves $11 Million if they needed to?

[Grannysue]

Must be all the new pantsuits!

[javaman]

ahhh imagine hillary running the country the way she runs her campaign. It would be a carbon copy of our current moron* in charge.

[jeffp26]

Wait a minute. You mean Hillary and her people LIED to us again? Good thing I'm sitting down.

Now, seriously, I will be horrified, and livid, if Obama uses any of the money I contributed to his campaign to help Hillary pay people like Mark the moron Penn and herself the money they are "owed."

Considering how Hillary is ranting against moneygrubbers on wall street, why should moneygrubbers in DC get a different treatment?

[on2them]

Don't worry. Obama campaign is not going to pay HC debt off with contributions. It would be illegal to begin with and he is aware that his supporters would be outraged. He could help with fund raising, but personally I think his time is better spent getting himself sorted for the GE and our fight against McCain.

She got herself into this mess and the clintons decided to invest in their campaign so I see it as their responsibi­lity...no one else's.

[vippy]

Hillary needs to come up with the money one way or another. She can beg her broad base
to be as generous with her as most people are for Obama. But apparently her base are the
blue collar workers with no dime to spare. Who makes up these statistics - just how would
anyone know who voted when we only show an ID and the name gets checked off.
How do they know who is blue collar, what age group, etc.

[BassMent]

vippy, they get all of those demographic stats from exit polling. I was approached after I voted here in RI. I filled out a two-sided questionaire about my age, race, income,education level, and the issues I cared most about. The poll was being done by our local NBC affiliate.

Of course, there's nothing to keep people from lying in an exit poll. And you have to wonder if exit polls are skewed by the fact that there's probably a certain kind of person who will take the time to fill one out, while a lot of other folks will be running late to get somewhere or else just not want to participate. But the candidates rely on these results a lot to shape their campaigns.

[JerDogNebr]

I hate polling and feel that is it my duty, as an American, to lie shamelessly when I've been called. If you see data showing 5% support for American Communist Party, by the over 50 male white midwest voter, that's me. Please don't tell Homeland Security.

[ApolloniaCreed]

And once again Sherlock solves the mystery... *smirk*

[ForRichardorPoorer]

1st indication. She could run the country, liked she ran her campaign. Plus, all of her misstatements. Plus, she is far to elite to be in charge of a country. I see her in the role of, "say", president of a local garden club, or golf resort where the only people allowed are people such as herself.

[CocteausTwin]

In case anyone is interested -- I post it here in Mr Edsall censors my post his BS meme on Obama paying Hillary's debt

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/stateupdates/gGB93V/commentary

And I quote:

As posted by blogger Obamacrat:

"Hillary"s Debt Will NOT Be Paid By Obama for America.

It is not legal to do so.

I secured this information personally from campaign HQ in a phone conversation with the
Finance Chairman In Chicago at 2:40 P.M. EDT today Thursday, May 8th. I was asked to relay this
information onto the blog by the Finance Chairman.

DONATE to Obama with Absolute Confidence.

End of quote, now lets see an update from you Mr Edsall

[on2them]

Thanks, this needs to be posted and re-posted all over. I don't understand where Edsall is getting his info but it is total BS.

[AlexVonHussein]

This guy is now pandering for hillary...­. Now they want to arm twist obama to pay their debts. either they pay the ever increasing undisclosed sum or they keep pushing for FL AND MI ::::::: Steve is trying to help her steal the norminatio­n.........­...they know they are putting obama up the wall. if he pays he looses support among the donars and I hope he does not fall for the bait.....e­very move the clintons and any of them are talking now should be analysed carefuly for the implications.

[mamacat]

I do not understand what is going on with her. I fear the worst, hope for the best.

[PrdAmerican]

Is it possible we are going to have anothe example of campaign fraud by the Clintons? She did it in 2000, paid off her fine, but none the less, the FEC ruled against her.

[kipmartin]

She is in denial, like any addict or abused spouse.

Insanity is defined as 'doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results.' at this point she's burning up her own money, her husbands money, and the money of generous friends and contributors like there are no consequences. shes thinking '$10 more million and I can get Oregon!'

i used to believe in her, but now i am questioning her abbility to make a sound judgement. she'd be better off having the Obama campaign pay down most of that debt (easily arranged) and move back into her respected position in the Senate where she can still effect big changes. she'd make a fine Speaker of the House. or better yet, a Supreme Court justice.

its all in her grasp if she'd stop the mad spending and get her head together.