Hillary Clinton gets 8 million dollar book deal

The advance falls just short of the record 8.5 million dollars paid to Pope John Paul II in 1994, and could invoke scrutiny from the Senate ethics panel, the Washington Post reported in its early online edition.

The publisher, Simon and Shuster, has also published Clinton's other books on children's rights and the White House. Clinton, a Democrat, is the country's only First Lady to be elected to the Senate, where she will take her seat in January. Senate ethics rules only allow senators to receive payments for book deals 'so long as such fees" are "in accordance with the usual and customary contractual terms" governing book contracts, the newspaper said.

During bitter partisan debates during the Clinton administration, Republican Newt Gingrich, who was speaker of the House, ran afoul of House Democrats with a 4.5 million dollar book deal.

In the face of relentless puoblic pressure, Gingrich backed down and accepted a one dollar contract plus royalties. The publishing house was owned by Rupert Murdoch, who had big profits at stake in telecommunications deals pending before the government. Clinton hopes to publish the book in early 2003.

(klei/dpa)