Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has helped supporter Tom Vilsack retire some of his campaign debt. Vilsack ended his own presidential campaign in February and soon endorsed Clinton’s bid for their party’s presidential nod.
Clinton’s camp initially said she’d be helping Vilsack pay off his campaign debt, but Vilsack later said he’d taken out a loan and intended to pay off the debt himself. New records filed with the Federal Election Commission show Clinton cut Vilsack a $20,000 check for "list expenses."
A spokeswoman for Vilsack says Clinton purchased a "strategic document" and it’s not "appropriate" to discuss the list publicly since it now belongs to Clinton. Radio Iowa initially contacted Clinton’s campaign, but was referred to Vilsack’s spokesperson for information about the list.
The document is likely Vilsack’s list of campaign contacts in Iowa, and perhaps his list of donors here and elsewhere. Clinton rival Barack Obama has already converted one coveted Vilsack backer in New Hampshire.
Gary Hirshberg, president of Stonyfield Farm, a company that makes the top-selling organic yogurt in the U.S., had been one of Vilsack’s key backers in New Hampshire.