1 of 4

Yes

Write now Article Tools

The right to vote in America has always been a private affair: one of our most fundamental of citizenship rights. It stands to reason, then, that we feel our donations to a political candidate should be between ourselves and the candidate. Why, then, would anyone feel all political contributions should be a matter of public record?

Irregularities in campaign finance are nothing new. Recent history shows this financing often breaks federal campaign finance laws. The only limits on collecting campaign contributions appears to be whether the campaign organizers feel they will be caught holding a bag of dirty money. Any loophole left to these unethical campaign mafioso will be abused; the latest election cycle gives us copious examples of the types of loopholes campaigners have all but driven a Brinks truck through:

One candidate collected over $275 million in the "under $200" category. Two-thirds of that was donated on-line. To donate on-line, a credit card must be used. This should assure that at least, the donor was a valid donor, given that credit cards require a verified name and address to match the card. In this case, the campaign TURNED OFF verification procedures for credit cards, allowing donations to be accepted from obviously fictitious donors, donors in foreign countries and donations from anonymous "gift card"-type prepaid credit cards.

This same campaign received repeated warnings from the Federal Elections Commission in their reviews of on-going donations over $200 that there were irregularities occurring in small donations by the same individuals that added up to well over the $2300 limit for individual contributions-in many cases, made by obviously fictitious names in $25 increments. Donating $25 from the same card repeatedly to the extent that they add up to $17,000+ is still not allowable-the individual can only donate the maximum $2300, and his contributions have to be subject to FEC audit. The campaign's answer was they would sort out and return the excess donations and any that were found to be illegal-AFTER the election. Have they? Without a required audit, no one knows.

The sheer numbers of contributions from obviously fictitious names, such as Mr Doodad Pro and Mr Good Will, the numbers listing their state of residence as UK or IR, and other anomalies prompted one FEC examiner to file a complaint asking his superiors to open an investigation into the practices of the campaign-it did not occur.

Because the egregious irregularities regarding

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Should federal political candidates have to reveal the names of all their donors, not just those who give them more than $200??
We want to hear your view. Write now!