Is there some reason you can't donat eto political candidates (Obama, Clinton) using PayPal? Also, when did the max contribution go from $2,000 to $2,300? Did McCain-Feingold index the cap to inflation? And why is the Clinton campaign asking for contributions of up to $4,600? I understand you can de facto double the limit by donating once for the primary and once for the general election, but this seems different.
« An Insult | Main | At CFR; December 15, 2003 »
Questions
11 Feb 2007 10:45 am
Comments (11)
Are you actually trying to make a donation?
Campaigns are allowed to use PayPal but most prefer you use a credit card processing company that more easily feeds data into their donor/FEC compliance database. In 2006 I worked for a campaign that used PayPal rather than a more expensive alternative.
The FEC faq is pretty clear on contribution limits. The total permitted is adjusted each cycle (two year election period) and the candidate limits apply to candidate committees. Presidential candidates who forego public financing and limits will have a primary committee and a general comittee, hence $2300 + $2300. Candidates can also raise funds for a legal committee, for election related legal expenses.
Party committees can take up to $28,500 a year from individuals this cycle, most of which would generally go to an Independent Expenditure which, unlike the actual party apparatus, can advocate directly for the general election candidate (TV ads naming the candidate) but cannot coordinate with the candidate. Expect to see a lot of pressure from the big three on the DNC to get their fundraising act together so that big donors max out in 2007 and 2008.
In the recent past very few Democratic donors use Paypal, so it has not been worth the effort to integrate to Paypal.
The FEC announced the increase last month. My guess on the $4,600 is that its a suggested donation for a married couple.
In fact, if you want to maximize your contribution, you should mail a check. Processing fees on checks are built into existing bank fees, while CCs take a small cut of the transaction.
The link for contributing to Clinton's campaign includes this disclaimer at the bottom: "Your contribution is not tax-deductible for federal income tax purposes. An individual may contribute a maximum of $2,300 per election (the primary and general are separate elections). By submitting your contribution, you agree that the first $2,300 of your contribution is designated for the primary, and any additional amount up to $2,300 is designated for the general election."
PayPal is just a headache for reporting because they don't itemize the deduction of fees from the contribution. Say somebody donates $10, your statement just shows that they donated a fraction less. PayPal would get a lot more political business if they did it in two transactions--one deposit for the full amount and one withdrawal for the fees.
It was $2100 the last cycle. You need a crash course in the nuts and bolts of campaigns I think. :-)
If you donate $4600 and your Best Candidate Evah crashes and burns in the primaries, what happens to that $2300 designated for the general?
Kvelander -- I believe it's $4,600 per candidate, per election. So if your Best Candidate Evah turns into Whatevah, then you can happily shell out another few grand.
Comments closed February 25, 2007.
| 
Heads in the Sand
"Also, when did the max contribution go from $2,000 to $2,300? Did McCain-Feingold index the cap to inflation?Did McCain-Feingold index the cap to inflation?"
Yes.
"And why is the Clinton campaign asking for contributions of up to $4,600? I understand you can de facto double the limit by donating once for the primary and once for the general election, but this seems different."
It's not.
Posted by David Weman | February 11, 2007 10:59 AM