FEC Says Sen. Corzine May Give Unlimited Money
NewsMax.com Wires
Thursday, Aug. 19, 2004
WASHINGTON – Wealthy members of Congress may give unlimited
amounts of their own money to groups for get-out-the-vote drives
even though they are barred from raising big checks for their
campaigns or others, election officials said Thursday.
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The Federal Election Commission's 5-1 ruling came in response to
a request by Sen. Jon Corzine, a wealthy New Jersey Democrat and
chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Corzine gave more than $2 million to Democrat causes in the
2001-02 election cycle before the nation's campaign finance law
barred national party committees and congressional and presidential
candidates from raising or spending corporate union and unlimited
donations known as soft money.
Corzine asked the FEC whether he could still make big donations
to groups conducting voter registration activities despite the
law's broad soft-money ban. The FEC said yes, as long as he wasn't
giving such big amounts that the organization would be considered
financed by him.
While running for the Senate in 2000, Corzine spent $60 million
of his own money.
No Race for Governor, Yet
Corzine flirted with running in a special election if Democrat
New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey were to resign in the next few
weeks. However, the senator has said he plans to remain in Congress
for now.
McGreevey, acknowledging a homosexual affair and announcing he
was gay, said he would resign as governor in November. New Jersey
Republicans and some Democrats have called on him to leave office
earlier so that a special election could be held to replace him.
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