White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt‘s congressional campaign committee has failed to pay off more than 100 creditors to whom a collective sum of $326,370.50 is owed. Karoline was 23 when the campaign ‘Karoline for Congress’ began in 2022. Although she won the Republican primary, the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful as she lost to now 45-year-old Democrat Chris Pappas by an eight-point margin.
Three years after she lost her bid for a House seat, her campaign committee still hasn’t settled debt with most creditors, except some lucky ones, like her parents.
In January this year, as she took the new job as the White House press secretary, her campaign paid off five of its creditors, including two of her parents, who both received $2,900. More than 100 creditors are still waiting to be paid back, according to a new filing with the Federal Election Commission.
As per Open Secrets, a non-profit organization based in Washington DC that investigates campaign finance, Karoline Leavitt’s campaign didn’t raise any money in the last three months (April, May and June) to pay off its debt of over $320k.
Karoline for Congress allegedly “owes $46,747 to Axiom Strategies, a Republican political consulting firm, and $41,000 to Remington Research Group, a polling firm,” as per Irish Star.
However, a source told Open Secrets that 27-year-old Leavitt is not personally liable to pay off the debt. They further mentioned that the Federal Election Commission is auditing her campaign.
The audit comes after Democrat-aligned advocacy group End Citizens United filed a complaint against Leavitt’s campaign committee, accusing them of accepting excessive contributions. As per the Irish Star, most of the remaining debt of over $320k is from donations that exceeded the limit set by campaign finance law.
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The Federal Election Commission is yet to make a ruling in this case. The delay could be because the board is understaffed and needs the appointment of two new commissioners. Meanwhile, Leavitt’s boss Donald Trump has not yet nominated anyone for Senate.
Though Leavitt’s campaign owes a huge sum, it’s nothing in comparison to other political figures whose campaigns were unsuccessful. The Irish Star reports that it took Hillary Clinton‘s 2008 campaign half a decade to pay off its staggering debt of nearly $25 million.
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Though Karoline faced disappointment in 2022, she emerged strongly and made history by becoming the youngest press secretary in the history of the White House. And the way she carries herself and defends every policy and statement of Trump, it’s clear that she’s loving every bit of her job.
Karoline, 27, is married to 59-year-old Nicholas Riccio. They have a son together.
