What happens when a political campaign gets an anonymous donation?

[benburch]

I know that there are rules about reporting donors and maximum amounts anybody can donate to a campaign.

But, what happens when an envelope arrives with $10,000 in $50 bills in it, and no identification of the donor whatsoever?

[eyesroll]

1. If a campaign receives more than $50 at any one time in anonymous cash,

it needs to be used for something legal, but not political (think charity).

In order for the campaign to be able to accept the cash, those $50 bills would need to come in separate envelopes.

Heck, if a campaign receives more than $100 in cash from a named donor, the excess needs to be refunded. (It can then be re-submitted via check/credit cart/etc.)

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20061500/edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2006/janqtr/11cfr110.4.htm

[benburch]

3. OK, so, if 100 envelopes with $50 in each came, that would be OK?

Would it show up in any report?

[eyesroll]

6. They'd still need to report it in aggregate -- it does count toward

what a campaign receives. But it's counted the same way those $10 and $20 contributions are -- totalled up, recorded, but not itemized (usually). So, on the FEC report, it might show up as: "Itemized contributions -- $20,000; Unitemized contributions -- $10,000; total contributions, $30,000," with no requirement to further break down the unitemized contributions into anonymous cash vs. small named donors.

All money in and out needs to be reported somewhere. In fact, if that $10K did show up in a single envelope, they'd have to report it as money in, and then the excess as money out (with an explanation as to both where it went and why it had to go).

(I have been an assistant treasurer/de facto treasurer on a congressional campaign.)


NOTE: This information is good for federal campaigns only; each state has its own rules for its candidates.

[gkdmaths]

2. dont declare it and

throw the mafia a party?

}(

[RB TexLa]

4. hand it out to campaign workers and have them donate it

:evilgrin:

[CK_John]

5. Assuming it gets past the mail intern,

and the candidate wants to know. There are federal and state election commissions that will make a ruling.