WDEL is reporting that US Congress candidate Scott Spencer is planning to donate 10% of his campaign fundraising to the Food Bank of Delaware. He is calling on all other statewide candidates to designate a “Campaign Charity” and give 10% of their funds away.
This is silly. Campaign donors want their money spent wisely. They want to hear about how you are buying signs, direct mailings and radio time. They can donate to charity on their own. Plus they lose their tax deduction on their personal return by funneling it through a political campaign.
Hopefully the other candidates ignore this. Every campaign buys tickets to charitable events (or advertising in their program, etc), but a blanket 10% flat donation seems inappropriate. If you want to promote a charity, have an event where people write a check to your campaign and a separate check to the charity.
For Delaware candidates (I’m not sure about the FEC rules for congressional candidates), this is how you can spend your campaign money:
§ 8020. Authorized campaign expenditures.
No political committee may make any expenditure except for the following purposes:
(1) Wages of full-time or part-time campaign staff (but no salary nor wage for a candidate or a candidate’s spouse);
(2) Travel expenses of the candidate and campaign staff;
(3) Payment of fees or charges for placing the name of the candidate on the ballot, and for collecting the returns of the election;
(4) Costs of telephone and other communications services;
(5) Costs of postage and other delivery services;
(6) Printing and stationery;
(7) Food, refreshments and related supplies;
(8) Purchase and preparation of lists of voters;
(9) Taking polls and making canvasses of voters;
(10) Payment for election watchers;
(11) Rental of office and rental and purchase of equipment;
(12) Advertising and publicity;
(13) In the case of a candidate committee, purchase of tickets to permit the candidate’s attendance at civic or political events; and in the case of a political action committee, contributions within authorized limits, to any other political committee;
(14) Holding, promoting and furnishing meetings, demonstrations, conventions, and paying musicians and others rendering services thereto;
(15) Employing attorneys, accountants and other professional advisors;
(16) In the case of a candidate committee, contributions, within the limits set forth in § 8010(a) of this title, to another candidate committee, or as otherwise provided in § 8022 of this title;
(17) In the case of a political party or a political action committee, contributions, within authorized limits, to a candidate committee;
(18) In the case of any political action committee, in addition to any other expenditure authorized by this chapter, contributions to a political party within the limits set forth in § 8011 of this title.
59 Del. Laws, c. 580, § 1; 67 Del. Laws, c. 449, § 1.;
When you close out a campaign account it is perfectly legal to donate the remaining balance to charity:
§ 8022. Leftover funds.
Any funds remaining in any political committee which has completed its activities and paid all its creditors shall be paid to a successor committee or committees without being subject to the contribution limits set forth in this chapter or shall be donated to any religious, charitable, educational or scientific organization exempt from Delaware income tax under § 1902(b)(2) of Title 30 or to any volunteer fire company, and to no other person, except that an amount not in excess of the amount listed in § 8011 of this title may be given to the political party eligible to be listed on any general election ballot under § 3001 of this title. For purposes of this section, the term “successor committee” shall include any political committee, or committees, as that term is defined by § 8002(13) of this title; provided, however, that where the successor committee is one other than a candidate committee formed to promote the election of the same candidate to a different office than that for which the candidate’s original candidate committee was formed, the contribution limits set forth in this chapter shall apply.
67 Del. Laws, c. 449, § 1.;
From WDEL.com:
VIDEO: Candidate: Campaign $$$ for charity
By: Mellany Armstrong
A candidate for Congress says he wants all political candidates to start a new tradition with their campaign contributions.
Scott Spencer, a Democrat from Wilmington who’s running for the seat being vacated by Congressman Mike Castle, is calling on candidates to set aside 10 percent of their campaign fundraising to support a charity.
Video Here
Spencer says he came up with the idea after seeing the need as he campaigned around the state.
Spencer has chosen the Food Bank of Delaware as the recipient of his donation. The Food Bank does not endorse political candidates. Spencer says non-presidential campaigns raised more than $2 billion in 2008. In addition to getting money under his proposal, he says charities would get more exposure. Spencer’s Democratic opponent, John Carney, and declared Republican candidate Fred Cullis, have not returned phone calls seeking comment.
Like this:
Like Loading...
Read Full Post »