It is not unusual to see a $30,000 donation to a PAC (Political Action Committee). When you see Norman Braman's name, FPL or the Marlins you aren't surprised to see a large donation because you know they all have a lot of money to burn. However, I see other names that do make me pause and think, "Where did they get the money?". I assume they are collecting money from others and bundling it under their name to hide the real, less savory donors. I asked Maria Acosta of the Office of Governmental Affairs at Miami-Dade Elections if it was legal. She sent me an email which read:The Political Committees in Florida don't have a contribution limit like the candidates but they have to disclosure every person or entity that gives them a contribution. She included the Florida Statute with her response, although the statute doesn't appear to answer my original question "On a Political Action Committee -- is one person able to make a donation for many people?"
PAC's usually help a candidate by producing a commercial for TV or sending out campaign material. They don't directly give to the candidate. There are usually PAC's involved on both sides of a campaign. I think PAC's suck because they skirt the limits on giving and they don't let the public see the toxic entities giving to a campaign. Well financed PAC's took down Florida Amendment 4.
The Statute Acosta sent:
F.S. 106.0122
(3)"Contribution" means:
(a) A gift, subscription, conveyance, deposit, loan, payment, or
distribution of money or anything of value, including contributions in
kind having an attributable monetary value in any form, made for the
purpose of influencing the results of an election or making an
electioneering communication.
(b) A transfer of funds between political committees, between committees
of continuous existence, between electioneering communications
organizations, or between any combination of these groups.
(c) The payment, by any person other than a candidate or political
committee, of compensation for the personal services of another person
which are rendered to a candidate or political committee without charge
to the candidate or committee for such services.
(d) The transfer of funds by a campaign treasurer or deputy campaign
treasurer between a primary depository and a separate interest-bearing
account or certificate of deposit, and the term includes any interest
earned on such account or certificate.
9 comments:
Under Florida Statutes 106.08(5)(a), its illegal to make a campaign contribution in the name of another person, directly or indirectly. Its a misdemeanor if done once, but a felony if done more than once. the entire statute is here: http://www.flsenate.gov/statutes/index.cfm?App_Mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0106/Sec08.htm&StatuteYear=2003
Is a PAC an indirect campaign contribution? They never say they are formed to help a specific campaign --or even any campaign --...even if they do.
Is it legal for a group of employees of a company to give campaign contributions to a candidate (endorsed by the company) and subsequently be reimbursed by the company for the donation (usually via an employee expense report)?
That is as illegal as it gets! What company I won't tell anybody.
OK Connie Chong
What about the PAC that was helping Flinn. There donors with #25k, and collected a lot of money from lobbyists and special interest. This same pact did the same in Homestead and many of the donors are the same.
The company that did that was PBS…..
There were PAC's on Lynda's side as well.
I'd think so, considering she ran a ton of TV ads, even though she supposedly fundraised less.
Don't leave out Lynda Bell's undeclared campaign assistance from the Republican party and from the vile one. Did anyone ever see her list Steven Cody's legal services as an in-kind contribution? I bet you won't that had to be more than $500.00. That was a gift from VNS. Weren't her mailers courtesy of a Tallahassee PAC?
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