Hillary Clinton could be haunted by controversy regarding her paid speech engagements at the final presidential debate—if she makes it that far.
The third and final presidential debate of 2016 will take place Oct. 19 at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas, the Commission on Presidential Debates announced Wednesday. The contest will be held almost exactly two years after Clinton delivered remarks at the UNLV Foundation Dinner in Las Vegas.
Clinton’s paid appearance at the event last October sparked controversy, as the former secretary of state required a payment of $225,000 for the remarks. Months ahead of the engagement, the Las Vegas Review-Journal published details of Clinton’s contract with the university’s foundation, which included demands for a "presidential suite," round-trip travel via a 16-passenger private jet, and a $1,250 stenographer to produce a transcript of the speech made exclusive only to Clinton.
She was met with criticism from student and university leaders for her large speech fee. Two members of the UNLV student government requested Clinton return the $225,000 to the foundation.
"When we heard $225,000, we weren’t so thrilled," Elias Benjelloun, then president of the student body, said at the time. "It’s a good thing to know though that this isn’t coming from university dollars directly. It’s not coming from student funds directly, it’s coming from the foundation. But, with those intended dollars being donated to the university, they should still be spent effectively and efficiently, and we’d hope that the UNLV foundation does that and we’d hope that Hillary Clinton commits to higher education like she does and returns part or whole of the amount she receives for speaking."
Benjelloun also penned a letter to the Clinton Foundation, to which the former secretary of state funneled her speech fees, asking that the funds be returned on behalf of the student body.
Don Snyder, then-acting president of the university, also labeled some of the elements of Clinton’s contract "distasteful." Snyder has donated thousands to outgoing Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) over the years, according to data from the Federal Election Commission.
Clinton never returned the money, nor did she respond to the letter sent by the student body president.
Jon Ralston, a Las Vegas reporter who extensively covered the controversy surrounding Clinton’s UNLV speech fee, told the Washington Free Beacon that individuals in the area will likely find ways to remind Clinton of her demands if she claims a place on the debate stage next year.
"I’m sure some folks will gin up protests, paint signs," Ralston said. "But the business of that debate will be about much bigger issues."
UNLV President Len Jessup celebrated the commission’s selection of the university for the final debate venue.
"UNLV is honored to be a host venue for a presidential debate, as we believe it will bring a unique energy to one of the most diverse campuses in the country," Jessup said in a statement Wednesday. "A core mission of a university is to educate future leaders and hosting a presidential debate will allow students to experience the political process first-hand and better understand how public policy impacts their lives."
Since Clinton spoke at the foundation dinner last October, students at UNLV have experienced a significant tuition hike. For four years beginning this fall, the university’s undergraduate registration fees, akin to tuition, will increase by 4 percent annually, and those for graduate students will increase by 2 percent yearly.
Clinton also has a connection to the venue for the second presidential debate, Washington University in St. Louis. The school has donated between $100,000 and $200,000 to the Clinton Foundation, according to the charity’s website. Furthermore, the annual Clinton Global Initiative University event was held at the St. Louis institution in 2013.
Clinton isn’t guaranteed a spot on either stage next year. While she has been widely viewed as the obvious Democratic nominee, Clinton has witnessed an erosion of her poll numbers amid revelations from the FBI investigation into her personal email system.