Almost like it was out of the movie The Producers, Jill Stein must have realized you can make a lot more money and get a lot more attention for a losing campaign than for a winning one. That's exactly how her recount efforts played out.

The Washington Free Beacon reported that the former Green Party nominee would receive a $2 million refund for her efforts to get a failed presidential recount in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania.

Stein told the Free Beacon that wouldn't personal pocket the money and instead use it to create a new voter integrity group.

The Green Party nominee raised more money for her recount effort than she did for both her presidential bids in 2012 and 2016 combined, a total of $7.3 million. She spent nearly $600,000 of that quickly failed recount on consultants and staff, which may have been more than they earned working on her campaign.

Despite the extra funds and the failure of the recount campaign to change the election, many progressives still admire Stein.

Zach Haller, a progressive activist, said to Red Alert Politics that he was proud to have voted for Stein in the presidential election, but did not donate to the recount campaign and thought that her efforts was frivolous effort and allowed critics to discredit her.

"To regain credibility I think Dr. Stein should use the money to explore and promote solutions to the water crises at home and the human rights crises in Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere abroad, and to develop a clear and achievable 2018 electoral strategy for the Green Party," Haller said to Red Alert.

Still, Stein may have showed candidates capable of gaining mass media attention that a failed political campaign can make some people very wealthy.