Clinton raises record US$143m in August: campaign

[WASHINGTON] Hillary Mrs Clinton's presidential campaign raised an eye-popping US$143 million in August for her candidacy and the Democratic Party, the best showing of her campaign, her team said Thursday.

The haul allows team Clinton to begin September - and the election's home stretch - with more than US$68 million on hand.

Of the US$143 million raised last month, US$62 million was raised for Mrs Clinton's campaign.

"Thanks to the 2.3 million people who have contributed to our campaign, we are heading into the final two months of the race with the resources we need to organize and mobilise millions of voters across the country," Mrs Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said in a statement.

"These resources will help us to register and turnout millions of voters to elect progressive candidates across the country."

By comparison, Barack Obama raised a total of US$97 million in August 2012, including US$84 million for his campaign, according to the New York Times.

Mrs Clinton throughout August participated in 37 private fundraising events in 11 states plus the capital city Washington, according to an AFP count. Most were on the West coast, home to Hollywood celebrities and Silicon Valley executives, or in the traditional Democratic donor bastions of Massachusetts and New York.

The minimum contribution required to attend the events varied from US$500 to US$250,000, with higher contributions equating to more exclusive access.

For example, at an August 20 cocktail party at the home of former Universal Studios head Frank Biondi, on the tiny island of Martha's Vineyard, about 700 people crowded under a large tent.

Also that evening, just 30 guests attended a nearby dinner hosted by Lynn Forester de Rothschild. Admission: US$50,000.

In Los Angeles, it took a minimum of US$33,400 to be among the 100 lunch guests at the posh home of pop star Justin Timberlake and his wife Jessica Biel, in the Hollywood hills.

Even more exclusive was the two-hour California dinner for 20 hosted by Laurene Jobs, the widow of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs. Each guest contributed at least US$200,000.

The legal limit for donations to a campaign during the presidential election is US$2,700 per person. Larger donations are distributed among the network of state parties.

August campaign finance figures for Donald Trump, Mrs Clinton's Republican rival, were not yet available, but the billionaire real estate tycoon has accelerated his fundraising efforts in recent months.

AFP