Karoline Leavitt's 2022 Congressional Campaign Is Still More than $300K in Debt After Spending Illegal Donations.
Karoline Leavitt's 2022 Congressional Campaign Is Still More than $300K in Debt After Spending Illegal Donations.
The White House press secretary's former campaign repaid only five donors in 2025, two of whom are her parents.
By Rachel Raposas/People Magazine Published on July 31, 2025 02:40PM EDT
NEED TO KNOW
Karoline Leavitt's 2022 congressional campaign is in debt to over 100 creditors.
Karoline for Congress accepted more than $300,000 in illegal campaign contributions in 2022, and in the most recent reporting period, she failed to pay any of it back.
In 2025, she repaid five donors total — two of whom were her parents.
Karoline Leavitt's 2022 congressional campaign is in debt more than $300,000, with money owed to over 100 creditors.
According to a disclosure filed with the Federal Election Commission on July 6, the current White House press secretary's 2022 congressional campaign, Karoline for Congress, failed to repay any of its $326,370.50 debt. Leavitt's campaign reported zero cash on hand at the end of the reporting period, which wrapped at the end of June.
Per Open Secrets, Leavitt's campaign debt stems from illegal donations and contributions, in that they exceeded federal limits on monetary gifts to political campaigns, from individuals, political figures and political committees. As illegal contributions, the funds should have been returned — but the outlet reported that she and her campaign already spent the money.
Notable contributors include former New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson and former New Hampshire Senate Majority Leader Robert Clegg Jr. — who died in 2023 — as well as Leavitt's parents, though NOTUS reported in April that the White House press secretary repaid them $2,900 each.
Significant donations include $46,747 from consultant Axiom Strategies, $41,000 from polling firm Remington Research Group and $12,815 from fundraising firm Fundraising, Inc.
This year, Leavitt's campaign has only refunded five donors including her parents, per the disclosure and NOTUS.
The White House press secretary's former campaign repaid only five donors in 2025, two of whom are her parents.
By Rachel Raposas/People Magazine Published on July 31, 2025 02:40PM EDT
NEED TO KNOW
Karoline Leavitt's 2022 congressional campaign is in debt to over 100 creditors.
Karoline for Congress accepted more than $300,000 in illegal campaign contributions in 2022, and in the most recent reporting period, she failed to pay any of it back.
In 2025, she repaid five donors total — two of whom were her parents.
Karoline Leavitt's 2022 congressional campaign is in debt more than $300,000, with money owed to over 100 creditors.
According to a disclosure filed with the Federal Election Commission on July 6, the current White House press secretary's 2022 congressional campaign, Karoline for Congress, failed to repay any of its $326,370.50 debt. Leavitt's campaign reported zero cash on hand at the end of the reporting period, which wrapped at the end of June.
Per Open Secrets, Leavitt's campaign debt stems from illegal donations and contributions, in that they exceeded federal limits on monetary gifts to political campaigns, from individuals, political figures and political committees. As illegal contributions, the funds should have been returned — but the outlet reported that she and her campaign already spent the money.
Notable contributors include former New Hampshire Gov. Craig Benson and former New Hampshire Senate Majority Leader Robert Clegg Jr. — who died in 2023 — as well as Leavitt's parents, though NOTUS reported in April that the White House press secretary repaid them $2,900 each.
Significant donations include $46,747 from consultant Axiom Strategies, $41,000 from polling firm Remington Research Group and $12,815 from fundraising firm Fundraising, Inc.
This year, Leavitt's campaign has only refunded five donors including her parents, per the disclosure and NOTUS.
