US presidential candidates spent $2.17 billion on election campaign: Study

Washington: US presidential aspirants and groups supporting them spent a whopping $2.17 billion during the intense election campaign, according to a new study.

The project was conducted by the Center for Public Integrity and analysing figures compiled by the Federal Election Commission, tax authorities and other reports.

According to the report, President-elect Donald Trump and groups supporting the Republican spent $409 million while his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton spent a little more than half of the $759 million.

Though Clinton won the popular vote by more than 2.8 million votes, the final race was won by Trump who garnered more than the required 270 electoral votes.

Among the other White House hopefuls in the campaign, those who spent the most were Senator Bernie Sanders, who splurged $232 million vying with Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, and Senator Ted Cruz, who spent $161 million trying to obtain the Republican nomination.

Behind them come two more Republicans: former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, spending $154 million, and Senator Marco Rubio, spending $111 million.

Sanders was the only aspirant who did not receive financing from political action committees, or PACs, while Clinton received $205 million from such groups. Trump received $89.4 million, Cruz $69.3 million, Bush $122 million and Rubio $76.5 million from the PACs.