Yes, Arnold Took Outside Money

Despite Arnold Schwarzenegger's pledge to bankroll his own political leap into the governor's mansion, new campaign statements show that supporters gave him more than half of what he needed during last year's recall campaign.

Schwarzenegger's fund-raising juggernaut brought in more than $27 million in support of his gubernatorial campaign and other political efforts during 2003, according to reports filed Monday.

Supporters also helped pay off debt from a 2002 ballot measure for after-school programs and to finance the governor's crusade to get voters to approve $15 billion in bonds in the upcoming March election.

The former Hollywood superstar — with an estimated personal wealth of more than $100 million — used over $10 million of his own money and non-monetary contributions to support the campaigns.

The governor's primary campaign committee, Californians for Schwarzenegger, received $22 million in contributions in 2003, an amount that included $4 million in loans that Schwarzenegger took out in support of his candidacy.

A Superior Court judge ruled last week that those loans exceeded voter-approved campaign finance restrictions that put a $100,000 limit on the amount a candidate can lend his or her campaign.

The governor has maintained that he never intended to raise money from supporters to pay off the loans he made during the recall race. But records show he did that while campaigning for the after-school measure.

While Schwarzenegger donated more than $1 million of his own money to the Proposition 49 campaign, he also took out several bank loans to help pass the initiative, which he sponsored.

Calls to the governor's press office were not immediately returned Monday, but Schwarzenegger spokesman Rob Stutzman has said fund-raising for a ballot measure is much different from raising money for a candidate.

Californians for Schwarzenegger has a remaining debt of $4.5 million.

A separate Schwarzenegger committee, devoted to the campaign to remove former Gov. Gray Davis from office, took in $4.5 million last year, including a $500,000 loan from Schwarzenegger. The committee has paid off most of its debt except for the loan from Schwarzenegger.

By Tom Chorneau