‘Super PAC’ backing Hillary Clinton says it raised $4 million in 2013

Ready for Hillary, a “super PAC” that is urging Hillary Rodham Clinton to run for president in 2016, announced Tuesday that it raised more than $4 million last year.

“Thanks to the groundswell of enthusiasm for Hillary’s potential run and the steadfast commitment of our supporters, we have exceeded our goals and are ahead of schedule in raising the funds necessary to build a grass-roots army that can be activated the moment Hillary makes a decision,” Adam Parkhomenko, executive director of the group, said in a statement. “This movement is unprecedented – not because of our staff but because of our supporters – and we will continue to build capacity across the country to put Hillary in the strongest position possible should she decide to run.”

Parkhomenko’s statement did not say how much money the group had on hand.

The organization is one of several laying the groundwork for a second Clinton White House bid, though the former secretary of State has said she will not make a decision about whether to run until later this year.

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Ready for Hillary is billed as a grass-roots effort that limits contributions to $25,000 per person. The average 2013 contribution was $82, and 98% were $100 or less, the group said.

The group had a number of events in Los Angeles last year, including a small-dollar fundraiser at a downtown nightclub where young supporters paid $20.16 to gain entry and more lavish gatherings focused on well-heeled members of the Hollywood crowd.

Ready for Hillary, whose staff includes some former campaign workers from Clinton’s 2008 effort, is focused on collecting voter data, building a list of potential supporters and doing voter organization work in the states. In 2013, the group said, it garnered the support of 1.5 million supporters on Facebook.

Since stepping down as secretary of State, Clinton has been traveling the nation, accepting awards and giving paid speeches. Though she has been coy about her intentions, Clinton was present at a meeting last summer at her Washington home where strategists discussed the contours of a 2016 run, according to a Politico story published Monday.

The Republican National Committee and at least one Republican super PAC are treating her as the Democratic nominee. On Tuesday, Republicans highlighted a new book by former Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates to question Clinton’s motivation for opposing the 2007 troop surge in Iraq.

seema.mehta@latimes.comTwitter: @latseema