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Is this legal?
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| Shakka |
Just caught this on Drudge. Is it legal to get political contributions from international sources? If it is, doesn't it undermine the concept of the actual citizens electing/promoting their political hopefuls?
| quote: | Frustrated with the lack of domestic support, left-leaning website moveon.org has apparently been reaching beyond American borders to generate cash revenue over the Internet!
The provocative international fundraising strategy threatens to embroil the presidential candidacies of General Wesley Clark and former Vermont Governor Howard Dean. Both men are named on international fundraising websites suggesting donations to moveon.org.
Moveon.org, which has been running ads critical of the Bush Administration, has named an "International Campaigns Director."
It is not clear how much money has been raised from foreign sources, but political websites from London to Portugal have been directing their citizens to stop the American president George Bush by donating to moveon.org.
CAMPAIGN CASH RACE TURNS INTERNATIONAL; MOVEON.ORG CENTER OF INTRIGUE; CLARK SEEKS CANADIAN SUPPORT, WEBSITE SHOWS |
Could be interesting in the very least. |
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| arctic |
I'm not sure of the legal issues, as the system down here is very different with regards to donations/elections of leaders, but I agree, it will be interesting to say the least.
Hell, you can't blame people for wanting Bush out. |
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| occrider |
| quote: | Originally posted by Shakka
Just caught this on Drudge. Is it legal to get political contributions from international sources? If it is, doesn't it undermine the concept of the actual citizens electing/promoting their political hopefuls?
Could be interesting in the very least. |
It is absolutely 100% not legal, and if moveon.org is guilty of doing this they should be punished under the campaign finance reform laws. |
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| anuneventrade |
| quote: | Originally posted by occrider
It is absolutely 100% not legal, and if moveon.org is guilty of doing this they should be punished under the campaign finance reform laws. |
I didn't think it was either. |
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| imokruok |
It actually is legal, because the moveon.org's organization is a 527 political fund. The prohibition on international donations only applies to the candidates and their parties.
That said, moveon.org would look really bad if they took foreign funds to get a Democrat elected. Basically, that would be saying that they can't find enough support in the domestic electorate for their positions.
And believe me, if they ever decide to add the prohibition on foreign funds to the 527, it will would probably pass both houses of Congress in a landslide. Neither of the mainstream wings of the political parties want foreign involvement in our domestic elections. Except for Al Gore. :D
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| occrider |
| quote: | Originally posted by imokruok
It actually is legal, because the moveon.org's organization is a 527 political fund. The prohibition on international donations only applies to the candidates and their parties.
That said, moveon.org would look really bad if they took foreign funds to get a Democrat elected. Basically, that would be saying that they can't find enough support in the domestic electorate for their positions.
And believe me, if they ever decide to add the prohibition on foreign funds to the 527, it will would probably pass both houses of Congress in a landslide. Neither of the mainstream wings of the political parties want foreign involvement in our domestic elections. Except for Al Gore. :D
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Well that's disconcerting to know. Correct me if I'm wrong, but these organizations cannot in any way refer to a specific candidate in their advertisements? This, however, seems like it could be easily worked around. |
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| imokruok |
With the McConnell case affirming the new campaign finance laws, actually there is no easy work around. The real workaround is that the 527s are allowed to exist and raise money at all.
As we get close to the election next year, most of the ads we'll see won't be the "issue ads" like moveon.org is running. The ads on TV will be the ads that the candidates buy with their own campaign money. That cash can be used to explicitly endorse a candidate - the issue ads can't do that. |
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| Shakka |
| quote: | | "Don't vote for Dukakis....he's shorter" |
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