Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton earned more than $25 million from 104 speeches delivered since the beginning of 2014, according to a mandatory financial filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) on Friday.
In 2014 and the first few months of 2015, the former secretary of state earned nearly $12 million, delivering a total of 51 speeches, The Washington Post reported.
Hillary, who since announcing her candidate for presidency has attempted to portray herself as a champion of the average American voter, took in speaking fees ranging from around $100,000 to over $300,000.
Her most lucrative speeches, at $335,000 a piece, were given in San Diego, where she spoke to the Biotechnology Industry Organization in June and Qualcomm in October. On January 27, Hillary earned over $550,000 by delivering a speech to the National Automobile Dealers Association in New Orleans and a speech to Premier Health Alliance in Miami, according to the documents.
She earned an additional $5 million from her book "Hard Choices," which was released in June, The Washington Post reported.
According to an analysis by Politico, the Clintons omitted an unknown number of speeches delivered while directing the payment or honoraria to the Clinton Foundation, even though there are clear instructions on the financial disclosure forms and guidance from the Office of Government Ethics saying that honoraria directed to a charity should be reported.
One particularly interesting speaking fee is the $225,000 honorarium Hillary received to speak in June to Corning, Inc., a company that stands to benefit from favorable government policies.
Vox explains the significance of that relationship:
"Almost a decade ago, as Hillary Clinton ran for re-election to the Senate on her way to seeking the presidency for the first time, the New York Times reported on her unusually close relationship with Corning, Inc., an upstate glass titan. Clinton advanced the company's interests, racking up a big assist by getting China to ease a trade barrier. And the firm's mostly Republican executives opened up their wallets for her campaign.
During Clinton's tenure as Secretary of State, Corning lobbied the department on a variety of trade issues, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The company has donated between $100,000 and $250,000 to her family's foundation. And, last July, when it was clear that Clinton would again seek the presidency in 2016, Corning coughed up a $225,500 honorarium for Clinton to speak.
The latest episode in the Clinton money saga is different than the others because it involves the clear, direct personal enrichment of Hillary Clinton, presidential candidate, by people who have a lot of money at stake in the outcome of government decisions."
Income inequality seems to be emerging as central issue to the 2016 presidential election, with candidates from both sides of the aisle indicating that they hope to better represent working class Americans.
Clinton launched her campaign with a video that cast herself as a champion for everyday Americans. "Everyday Americans need a champion. I want to be that champion," she said, reported Reuters. But these newly released figures only bolster the argument of critics who maintain that Clinton is simply too out of touch to be such a champion.
Bill Clinton delivered 53 six-figure speeches in the same time period, including three this week, according to the filing.
A campaign aide told Politico that the Clintons paid an effective tax rate of more than 30 percent on their 2014 income.
Presidential candidates are required to file the financial disclosure documents with the FEC within 30 days of declaring their candidacy, but are allowed to ask for up to two 45-day extensions. Republican candidate Marco Rubio of Florida also filed his on Friday, while Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky asked for extensions, according to the Post.
