Click to play videoSouth Carolina: In the past decade, Bill and Hillary Clinton made more than $10 million. The question is – where is that money going?
A lot of money came into the Clinton household since the White House years and a lot went out.
The Clintons' tax returns show they took write-offs for more than $10 million in charitable contributions over the past eight years.
Much of that money – nearly $6 million between 2001 and 2006 – went to the Clintons' own family foundation.
"Most Americans don't have their own family charity. The Clintons have given a lot there. As long as the money eventually goes out the door to charitable donations, I don't think people will look at it as anything unorthodox or unusual,” said Time magazine’s, Mark Halperin.
The returns show that between 2001 and 2006, less than half that money was given away – only about two-and-a-half million.
Still, tax and charity watchdog groups say the Clintons’ foundation was not obliged to give even that much away.
"According to IRS laws, they are only required to spend five per cent a year. They're able to get the tax benefits immediately, and then they can give it out later," said American Institute of Philanthropy’s Daniel Borochoff.
A Clinton campaign spokesman says that in 2007, the family did stop the trend of holding the money in the foundation – and moved about $3 million to other charities, including at least one donation that may have created the appearance of helping her politically.
A cheque for $100,000 from the Clinton Foundation was made for a south Carolina library, named after one of Hillary Clinton's mentors. The donation was made in July 2007, a day after Senator Clinton took part in a presidential debate in South Carolina.
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