A quirk in the campaign finance laws could result in individuals being able to make additional $2,300 contributions per donor to a presidential candidate over and above the maximum individual contribution limit of $2,300 for the presidential nominating elections if a presidential caucus or primary is held in 2007, according to Democracy 21.This is possible, but an unlikely interpretation.
The quirk in the law similarly could result in PACs being able to make additional $5,000 contributions per PAC to a presidential candidate.
''The quirk in the 1974 campaign finance law establishing the limits on contributions to federal candidates arises because sanely, no one conceived in 1974 that the presidential nominating process would become so frontloaded 33 years later that the start of the formal nominating process could be pushed back into the year before the presidential general election,'' according to Democracy 21 president Fred Wertheimer.
Contributions to federal candidates are based on a per election limit, not a calendar year limit. A person who has contributed $2,300 or a PAC who has contributed $5,000 to a presidential candidate's primary campaign can give no more, it doesn't matter when the various primaries are held. Although I don't recall where, but I am fairly certain that the Presidential primary time frame runs until the nominating convention. Thus, it would not matter if the Iowa caucus was held in December or not, the limit is for the primary season. Still, right now it is a theoretical exercise (and one that can be cured before any such primary in 2007 took place either statutorily or via regulation) since no state, including Iowa, has said it will move their primary into 2007.
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