§30125 Soft Money of Political Parties

Summary

National party committees must not raise, take, move, or spend money that is not covered by the federal limits, bans, and reporting rules. That rule also applies to their officers, agents, and any groups they create or control. State, district, and local party committees must use funds that follow the federal rules when they pay for federal election activity (things like voter registration drives, get-out-the-vote work, and some election-related communications). In some cases, those local committees may split an activity’s cost between regulated funds and other money if the activity does not name a federal candidate, is not a broadcast/cable/satellite ad about a federal candidate, the nonregulated money follows state law, no one person gives more than $10,000 in a year for those nonregulated parts, and the money comes only from that local committee’s own fundraising (not from other party committees, the national committee, or their agents or controlled groups). Money spent to raise funds for federal election activity must itself follow the federal rules. Party committees and their agents may not solicit or give money to tax-exempt groups (501(c) or most 527 groups) that spend on federal elections. Candidates and officeholders at the federal level may not handle money for federal elections unless it follows federal limits and source rules; for nonfederal races they must follow the normal contribution limits and source rules. Federal candidates may attend or speak at state or local party fundraisers. They may make general asks for 501(c) groups if they do not say how the money will be used, and they may ask individuals for funds for certain election activities so long as each person is not asked for more than $20,000 in a year. State or local candidates may not spend money on certain election communications unless those funds follow the federal rules, except when the communication is only about their own state or local race.