The Hill News

The Democratic National Committee (DNC) raised $12.4 million for the month of April, its filing Friday with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) will show.

A DNC official said the party committee, aided by a series of fundraisers this month headlined by President Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and other top Democrats, almost doubled its receipts in March.

The DNC had $14.8 million in cash on hand at the end of April, up more than $4 million from last month. The DNC also paid off almost $2 million in debt over the past month. The committee will report $15.4 million in debt, down from $17.3 million at the end of March.

The committee's efforts to build a major warchest in 2012 were aided in large part by the aggressive fundraising on which Obama embarked over the past month. Those fundraisers allowed for a maximum $35,000 donation to the Obama Victory Fund (OVF), a joint fundraising account established between the DNC and Obama's reelecti! on campaign.

The DNC and the campaign divide up the $35,800 according to federal election laws. The Obama campaign gets $5,000 â€" reflecting the maximum $2,500 donation allowed for each the primary and the general election season â€" while the DNC receives $30,800, the legal maximum donation it can take during a cycle.

The aggressive fundraising underscores that Obama's reelection effort has begun in earnest. The DNC has raised $33 million for the year, which outpaces their fundraising at the same point in 2009, and helps build a warchest to support Obama's reelection and Democrats' efforts to win back the House and Senate.

As a matter of contrast, the RNC raised $6 million in the last month â€" it has $6 million in! cash on hand, and paid down $1 million in debt. RNC Chairman ! Reince P riebus has made fundraising a priority, and bested the DNC in March, though that streak ended at one month, thanks to the efforts of Obama.