Donations to Clinton foundation triple

Contributions and grants to the Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton Foundation roughly tripled from 2012 to 2013, according to The Associated Press. 

The philanthropic organization received $144.4 million in contributions and grants in 2013, up from $51.5 million in 2012, according to tax documents released to the AP. 

The increase comes as Hillary Clinton joined the foundation in 2013 after finishing her tenure as secretary of State, and as she headed toward a possible presidential run. 

Nine donors gave a combined $64 million to the foundation, according to the forms. Their names are blacked out, the AP reports, as the foundation is not required to list its donors. The AP notes that the foundation does reveal its donors but not the amount each has given.  

The foundation says some of the increase in contributions shown on the forms comes from consolidating with the Clinton Global Initiative during that time.  

The foundation has come under some scrutiny from conservatives, as Clinton heads toward a likely run. The conservative America Rising PAC obtained tax forms, first reported by Politico, showing the foundation spent around $8 million, or nearly 10 percent of its total expenses in 2013, on travel.

The filings note that due to “extraordinary security and other requirements,” the Clintons may need to travel by charter flight or in first class.

America Rising is asking for a “detailed accounting” of this travel spending, arguing some of it could be politically related. 

“The Clinton Foundation has raised hundreds of millions that it claims is for charitable causes, but clearly overlaps with Hillary Clinton’s political ambitions,” said America Rising Executive Director Tim Miller. “The Foundation must be transparent in all spending so voters can see how it used charitable funds to subsidize expensive air travel, a lavish personal lifestyle, the courting of political donors, or other campaign related travel.”

Clinton has also come under criticism for her paid speeches around the country, though she says the money goes to the foundation. 

She has been touting, in particular, the “Too Small to Fail” initiative of the foundation, which seeks to increase the number of words that disadvantaged children hear as babies as part of efforts to boost brain development.