Karoline Leavitt’s 2022 campaign still owes over $326,000 — with no funds left to repay it

TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Jul 31, 2025, 21:31 IST

( Image credit : AP )

Highlight of the story: Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, faces scrutiny over her 2022 campaign debt. Her campaign owes over $326,000 to vendors. The campaign has no cash and hasn't raised funds to pay the debt. The FEC audit is underway, but enforcement is stalled due to a deadlock. Leavitt's political career has risen despite the campaign finance issues.

Karoline Leavitt, now serving as White House press secretary under President Donald Trump, continues to face scrutiny over the financial aftermath of her 2022 congressional campaign. Official filings show that her campaign, Karoline for Congress, still owes over $326,000 to more than 100 vendors and individuals — and hasn’t raised any new funds to pay off the debt.

According to records filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), the campaign reported raising zero dollars between April and June 2025. Much of the debt stems from contributions that exceeded federal legal limits or were otherwise improperly accepted. These funds have yet to be refunded.

No cash, mounting problems

As of June 30, the campaign has no cash on hand. Several high-profile individuals are still awaiting refunds, including former New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson and ex-state Senate Majority Leader Robert Clegg Jr.

Numerous vendors also remain unpaid. These include:

Axiom Strategies – $46,747Remington Research Group – $41,000Fundraising Inc. – $12,815In January 2025, the campaign revised 17 financial reports to disclose previously hidden or illegal donations. While a few small refunds have been issued — including $2,900 each to Leavitt’s parents in April — the vast majority of debts remain unresolved.

FEC audit underway, but enforcement stalled

The campaign is currently under audit by the FEC. However, due to an ongoing deadlock at the commission, no enforcement actions can be taken. Since May 2025, the FEC has operated with only three commissioners — short of the four required to make formal decisions. President Trump has not yet nominated replacements, despite receiving recommendations.

In 2022, the watchdog group End Citizens United filed a complaint against Leavitt’s campaign, accusing it of serious violations of campaign finance laws. Tiffany Muller, president of the group, said the delay in enforcement sends the message that "you can break the law and still get away with it."

Leavitt’s political trajectory

Leavitt, then just 23 years old, ran for Congress in New Hampshire’s 1st District in 2022. She won the Republican primary but lost the general election to Democrat Chris Pappas by eight points. Had she won, she would have been the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.

Despite the loss, her political star continued to rise. Leavitt started in the Trump administration as a mailroom assistant before becoming assistant press secretary. She was named Trump’s 2024 campaign press secretary and, following his victory, was appointed White House press secretary at age 27 — the youngest to ever hold the role.

Why campaign debt is hard to clear

Legally, campaign debt is the responsibility of the campaign committee, not the individual candidate. Once a campaign ends and funding dries up, repaying debt becomes extremely difficult. While candidates can personally repay the money, it’s rarely done.

Some political figures have found creative ways to pay off debt:

Hillary Clinton repaid $22.5 million from her 2008 campaign over several years by selling merchandise and renting donor lists.Kamala Harris paid off over $1 million in debt from her 2020 campaign after joining the Biden-Harris ticket.Newt Gingrich still owes more than $4.6 million from his 2012 presidential run.Others still carry large campaign debts with no signs of repayment:

Al Sharpton (2004) – still owes nearly $926,000 as of December 2024Rick Santorum (2012 & 2016) – has outstanding balancesMike Pence (2024) – has residual debt from his presidential campaignSharpton’s campaign, for example, has reportedly stopped filing required FEC disclosures.