Pawlenty retires debt from failed presidential bid

Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty has retired the debt left over from his failed bid for the Republican presidential nomination, his campaign said Tuesday, officially erasing a burden that at once stood at more than $500,000.

The news came with a notice to federal elections officials that Pawlenty was also disbanding his campaign , bringing a formal end to the Pawlenty for President committee  and disposing of all its assets.

All told, Pawlenty managed to raise about $5.67 million from individuals toward his presidential bid, according to his final FEC filing. He also reported more than $141,000 from political action committees. During the course of his campaign, the campaign brought in $5.96 million in total receipts.

The campaign, meanwhile, reported spending just short of $5.2 million in operating expenses. It also returned almost $764,000 in contributions to individuals and $8,000 to political action committees.

Since he ended his campaign last year, much of the attention toward Pawlenty has focused on his increasing role as surrogate for GOP front-runner Mitt Romney as well as the campaign’s effort to retire its outstanding debts. Donors with ties to Romney reportedly made significant contributions to those efforts early on, particularly when the campaign was facing higher levels of red ink.

But according to the FEC filing, the last bit of debt relief came from closer-to-home sources for Pawlenty. The Minnesota Business Partnership’s Charlie Weaver made a $100 contribution last month, bringing his total to $1,100 for the election cycle. U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann’s Michele PAC gave $2,000 last month as well, its first contribution of the cycle.

State Rep. Connie Doepke gave $200 last month, for a total of $700 during the election cycle. Longtime Pawlenty aide Brian McClung also gave an additional $500 last month, for a total $750. Michael Lawler, the executive director of the New York GOP, gave $500 in early March, for a cycle total of $600.

There were also some bigger-ticket items that were the last to get paid by the campaign. In mid-March, the campaign paid $5,000 to a California-based financial consulting firm, and paid more than $1,600 to a Virginia-based compliance consulting firm. Hallisey Group, a New York-based political consultancy, was paid $7,500 last month as well.