Bernie Sanders earned $1,867.42 in speaking fees - compared to the Clintons' $153m

The revelation comes as the battle with Ms Clinton becomes increasingly hard-fought

Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign stop at the Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, New Hampshire. Polls show him on course to defeat Hillary Clinton in the upcoming New Hampshire primary (AP)

Hammering home his message that Hillary Clinton has sold her soul to Wall Street and America’s wealthy elite, Senator Bernie Sanders highlight tonight that he had a mere $1,867.42 in fees from three speaking engagements last year. And he gave it all to charity.

After the surprisingly meagre sum was reported by the New York Times, the Sanders campaign chose swiftly to broadcast it, embedding the relevant paragraph in an email to reporters.

In debates and on the campaign trail, Mr Sanders, who appears set comfortably to defeat Ms Clinton here tomorrow, has repeatedly declared that in the last year alone, the former first lady had pocketed $675,000 from Goldman Sachs alone for three speeches.

An analysis by CNN meanwhile showed that both Mrs Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, had togeter earned more than $153m in paid speeches since 2001. It worked out at an average pay-day per speech of $210,795.

“Voters should be grateful for the government transparency laws that required Senator Bernie Sanders, a rival to Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination, to reveal how much he made last year in speaking engagement fees,” the Times said.

The Clintons earned more than $153 over ten years (AP)

“The total is $1,867.42 for three appearances , a grand sum that is chump change in presidential politicking but enough for the senator to respectably donate the money to charity.”

The sad takings by Mr Sanders, who cuts a deliberately rumpled figure on the stump and at debates, is likely to sit well with his supporters, many of whom say they are drawn to him because of his authenticity.

Ms Clinton vowed to supporters at a rally in Manchester today that “no special interests, no powerful interests are going to be able to call the shots,” when she is president.