Political Giving: Federal Limits for the 2011-2012 Cycle

Political giving is limited for federal races. DNC Treasurer Andrew Tobias explains the current limits and how to use them strategically.

   

By Andrew Tobias | Contact Andrew Tobias is Treasurer of the Democratic National Committee and founder of its LGBT Leadership Council. His twelve books include The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need and his coming out story: The Best Little Boy in the World. His anti-smoking commercials have run throughout the former Soviet Union. His work on auto insurance reform led to the placement of three initiatives on the March 1996 California ballot. He has received GLSEN's inaugural Valedictorian Award and the Fenway Community Health Center Visibility Award.

There are two buckets:

Bucket #1 is for checks you write to specific federal CANDIDATES.

Bucket #2 is for checks you write to federal PARTY COMMITTEES and to POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES (PACs).

All this concerns FEDERAL giving only: House, Senate, White House.

None of what you contribute to state or local races (governor, mayor, state legislature, condo association) cuts into the limits of what you may give federally.

Here are the limits:

 

BUCKET #1 - FEDERAL CANDIDATES - $46,200 AGGREGATE LIMIT

For the 24-month 2011-2012 election cycle, the most any citizen (or Green Card holder) can give all candidates for federal office (House, Senate, White House) combined is $46,200.

Each partner can do that much.

> Within the $46,200, there is this additional limit: not more than $2,500 to any given primary or general election campaign.  So not more than $5,000 to any one candidate ($2,500 primary, $2,500 general).

 

BUCKET #2 - FEDERAL COMMITTEES & PACS - $70,800 AGGREGATE LIMIT

For the 24-month 2011-2012 election cycle, the most any citizen (or Green Card holder) can give to federal committees and PACs is $70,800.

Again, each partner can do that much.

> Within the $70,800, there are these limits: not more than $5,000 a year to any given PAC. Not more than $30,800 a year to any given national committee. Not more than $10,000 a year to the "federal account" of a state party committee.

That's basically it. 

NOTE: Because Obama Victory Fund 2012 is a joint committee, it draws from both buckets.  The first $5,000 any donor gives goes to the Obama campaign (and thus counts against Bucket #1).  Anything beyond that goes to the DNC (and thus counts against Bucket #2).  

 As to strategy:

> Bucket #1 - We urge people to direct their precious $46,200 to key races, and to support the DSCC and DCCC by funding their candidates to the max.

> Bucket #2 - The Obama Victory Fund 2012 deserves your consideration for these dollars.  OVF 2012 is a joint committee of Obama for America and the DNC, whose mission is to fund the same team that was so successful in 2008 in registering and turning out millions upon millions of incremental voters, thereby to assure the President's reelection, hold the Senate, take back the House, and flip state legislative chambers from red to blue. 

> We believe in supporting our state parties! But be certain, when you do, to designate very clearly on your check or in a transmittal letter whether your gift is to their federal or their non-federal account, so you (and they) know whether it counts against the above limits.

> 527's and c4's - These groups can take unlimited contributions with no effect on your federal limits. We believe they do vital work but are a - slightly - lower priority for two reasons. First, their resources cannot be spent at the direction of or in coordination with federal campaigns themselves. Second, they have at least the theoretical legal ability to accept giant sums overnight from concerned billionaires to meet emergencies.  Not so OVF 2012.  The contribuions it can accept are limited by law, as described above.

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