What is a "Fundraising Disbursement" on the monthly FEC reports?

[briv1016]

Just curious, I was looking over the FEC reports today in anticipation of the June 20th filings when I came across this "Fundraising Disbursements" and I'm not sure what it is. I'm assuming it's not simply money used for fundraising because Hillary and Obama both have $0.00 in that row (Line 25) while Edwards has $3,746,635.00.

http://query.nictusa.com/pres/2008/M5/C00431205.html

So what is it? (I tried Google and came up with nothing.)

[napi21]

1. I'm only taking a WAG here, but I would think it referrs to the

dollars spent to hold fundraisers. Like the cost of lunch for all those who attend your fundraiser, the cost to rent a hall, things like that as opposed to regular expenses like the cost of your bus, airfares, paying your staff, etc.

[briv1016]

2. I was thinking that at first until I read Hillary's and Obama's reports.

We know both of them have held fundraising events, so I don't think that is it.

[stillcool]

3. sounds like where the money goes...

1. Introduction

What Is Joint Fundraising

Joint fundraising is fundraising conducted jointly by a political committee and one or more other political committees or unregistered organizations.

Who Must Observe Joint Fundraising Rules

The rules described in this appendix apply to political committees and unregistered organizations engaged in joint fundraising. The participants in joint fundraising activity may include party committees, party organizations not registered as political committees, federal and nonfederal candidate committees, nonparty political committees (e.g., federal PACs) and unregistered nonparty organizations (e.g., nonfederal PACs).<1> 102.17(a)(1)(i) and (a)(2).

Overview of Rules

All participants in a joint fundraising effort, including unregistered organizations, must:

• Create or select a political committee to act as the fundraising representative;

• Agree to a formula for allocating proceeds and expenses;

• Sign a written agreement naming the fundraising representative and stating the allocation formula;

• Establish a separate account for joint fundraising receipts and disbursements;

• Notify the public of the allocation formula and certain other information (detailed below) when soliciting contributions;

• Screen contributions to make sure they comply with the limits and prohibitions of the Federal Election Campaign Act; and

• Report allocated proceeds and expenses (applies to political committees only).

The committee named as the fundraising representative has additional responsibilities, as explained below.

5. Separate Depository

Establishing the Account

Joint fundraising participants must establish a separate account for the receipt and disbursement of all joint fundraising proceeds. Each participating political committee must amend its Statement of Organization (FEC Form 1) to show the account as an additional depository. 102.17(c)(3)(i).

Depositing Contributions

The fundraising representative must deposit contributions into the account within 10 days after receiving them. Only contributions permissible under the Federal Election Campaign Act (the Act) may be deposited in the joint fundraising account. If any participant is an unregistered organization which may, under State law, accept prohibited contributions, the participants may either establish a second account for such contributions or forward them directly to the participants that may accept them. 102.17(c)(3)(i) and (ii).

10. Recordkeeping

Receipts

With regard to gross proceeds, the fundraising representative must collect the following contributor information and later forward it to the participating political committees:

• For contributions exceeding $50: the amount, date of receipt and the contributor’s name and address.

• For contributions exceeding $200: the amount, date of receipt and the contributor’s name, address, occupation and employer. 102.8(a) and (b); 102.17(c)(4)(ii).

The date of receipt is the date the fundraising representative receives the contribution. 102.17(c)(3)(iii).

Prohibited Contributions

The fundraising representative must also keep a record of the total amount of prohibited contributions received, if any, and of any transfers containing prohibited funds made to participants that may accept them. 102.17(c)(4)(ii).

Disbursements

The fundraising representative must retain, for three years, records on all disbursements made for the joint fundraiser. The required recordkeeping information is described here. If a commercial fundraising firm or agent is used, it must forward required records on disbursements to the fundraising representative. 102.17(c)(4)(iii).

14. Reporting

Fundraising Representative

The fundraising representative reports all joint fundraising proceeds in the reporting period in which they are received. If any prohibited contributions are received for an unregistered organization, the fundraising representative must report them as memo entries. Each Schedule A used to itemize contributions must clearly indicate that the receipts are joint fundraising proceeds. 102.17(c)(3)(iii) and (c)(8)(i)(A).

The fundraising representative must also report all disbursements made for the joint fundraiser in the reporting period in which they are made. 102.17(c)(8)(ii).

Participants

After the fundraising representative distributes the net proceeds, each participating political committee reports its share as a transfer-in from the fundraising representative. Using the records received from the fundraising representative, a participating committee itemizes its share of gross receipts as contributions from the original donors (to the extent required by the rules on itemization—see here) on memo entry Schedules A . When itemizing gross contributions, the participant must report the date of receipt as the day the fundraising representative received the contribution. 102.17(c)(3)(iii); (c)(8)(i)(B).

Note that, if the fundraising representative is one of the participating committees (rather than a committee established solely for the joint fundraiser), it must report its own share of gross receipts in addition to reporting total fundraising proceeds.

[briv1016]

4. So your saying it's money spent on joint fundraising?

[stillcool]

5. I have no idea...

what entities are involved in any fundraising event. Here's another link that may clarify..
http://www.fec.gov/law/policy/guidance/gb2006-1.pdf