One of the more controversial aspects of Hillary Clinton’s pre-campaign — her penchant for paid speeches — is coming to an end.
Clinton will address the New York and New Jersey chapter of the American Camp Association in Atlantic City on Thursday. The appearance to the large meeting of professional camp counselors is the last paid speech on Clinton’s known calendar ahead of what is expected to be her April presidential campaign announcement.
The paid speech was a staple of Clinton’s last two years, both a way of staying in the public eye but also a target for critics. Commanding an average fee between $200,000 and $300,000, Clinton spoke to a mix of groups: There was the scrap metal and recycling conference in Las Vegas, the automobile dealers association in New Orleans and the National Association of Convenience Stores in Atlanta.
Clinton headlined events at colleges and universities as well, including Simmons College in Boston, the University of Miami in Florida and the University at Buffalo in New York. And also went abroad, delivering paid speeches in Canada and Mexico.
The speeches were often controversial, with both Democrats and Republicans questioning why she would deliver paid speeches ahead of a presidential bid. Clinton aides argued that the speaking fees from universities and some nonprofits went to the The Clinton Foundation, not directly to Clinton’s pocket, but the explanation failed to halt concerns.
When Clinton spoke at the University of Nevada Las Vegas in October, students protested the fact that their school was paying Clinton a $225,000 fee at the same time that UNLV was raising tuition.
While controversial, the speeches served a purpose for Clinton in addition to collecting a paycheck: They provided the former secretary of state with a ready-made opportunity comment on the biggest news story of the moment in a controlled environment where media were kept hundreds of feet away.
In December, Clinton stood with those protesting the deaths of two unarmed black males at the hands of law enforcement when she told a Boston audience that “our country deserves a full and fair accounting” of what happened. In August, she first commented on other protests over the death of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, saying that the United States “can do better.” And in April, Clinton publicly acknowledged that she was “thinking about” running for president in 2016.
All of these moments came at paid speeches.
The people who invited Clinton to speak were not nearly as scandalized by her speaking fees, too. In general, event organizers who invited Clinton were happy to pay her fee because it increased excitement around their event and significantly upped the media attention for the group. Many organizers raised money off of Clinton’s appearances, including by giving their top supporters the opportunity to get a photo with the former first lady.
Clinton’s appearance Thursday will follow a familiar format for her paid appearances. The former secretary of state will deliver a 25-30 minute speech, followed by 30 minutes of moderated question and answer on stage.
Event organizers would not divulge who would be interviewing Clinton, but did say that it was a member of the camp counselor organization.
Susie Lupert, the group’s executive director, told CNN, “Yes, just like most nonprofits and conferences, she is being paid for her appearance.” But she would not confirm how much Clinton was being paid.
Clinton has two events next week in Washington, D.C. (neither are paid), but noticeably has no public events in April, the month she is expected to announce her presidential campaign.