Clinton reports $100 million for year By JIM KUHNHENN, Associated Press Writer
9 minutes ago
WASHINGTON - Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton will have raised more than $100 million this year for her presidential campaign, aides confirmed Monday evening, setting a historic new threshold in fundraising.
Aides said the figure did not include $10 million Clinton transferred to the campaign from her Senate campaign account at the beginning of the year. That means the senator from New York will have raised more than $20 million during the past three months.
Her campaign did not reveal how much of the money raised was designated for the primary phase of the campaign and how much was for the general election — an important distinction that would signal how much Clinton has available to compete for the Democratic nomination.
She had $90.9 million in receipts at the end of September, including the $10 million transfer. By that time, she had raised a total of $80.4 million.
Monday at midnight was the last day of the fundraising quarter. Campaigns won't have to make details of their fundraising and spending public until Jan. 31, when they file finance reports with the Federal Election Commission.
By only confirming its end-of-year total, Clinton's campaign was drawing attention to the biggest number it plans to report. But state-by-state presidential contests are approaching quickly, culminating on Feb. 5 when more than 20 states hold primary contests. That means cash-on-hand will be an important total that signals how financially prepared candidates are to compete beyond Thursday's Iowa caucuses, and the New Hampshire primary on Jan. 8.
Clinton has been locked in a fundraising race with rival Sen. Barack Obama. Both already have broken fundraising records. Obama, of Illinois, had total receipts of more than $80 million at the end of September, and had raised more money for the primary contests than Clinton had.
At the end of September, each campaign had more than $30 million in cash available for the primaries.
On the Republican side, dark horse Ron Paul was reporting having raised $19.5 million during the final three months of the year, a sharp increase from the $5.2 million he raised during the previous.
That would bring Paul's total raised this year to more than $27 million. Paul's fourth-quarter haul would surpass the third quarter fundraising by each of his Republican rivals.
Paul has caught fire on the Internet, attracting a national following among donors drawn to his opposition to U.S. troops in Iraq and his libertarian views.
