FEC Rules Correctly Today that Federal Officeholders and Candidates, and National Party Officials, Cannot Solicit Unlimited Contributions for Super PACs

By a vote of 6-0, the Federal Election Commission ruled correctly today that federal officeholders and candidates, and national party officials, are prohibited by law from soliciting unlimited contributions for Super PACs, which spend money to influence federal elections.

The ruling came in the form of a response by the FEC to an Advisory Opinion request submitted by Majority PAC and House Majority PAC, two pro-Democratic Super PACs.

Democracy 21 congratulates the FEC on reaching the right conclusion today on an issue of enormous potential consequences.

If the Commission had ruled that such solicitations of unlimited contributions were legal, it would have meant that a President could solicit a $5 million contribution from a wealthy individual for a Super PAC to then spend on his re-election campaign or that a Senate Minority Leader could solicit $5 million from a corporation for a Super PAC to then spend on his next re-election campaign.

The solicitation of such unlimited contributions by federal officeholders and candidates is bound to cause corruption, which is why Congress enacted the solicitation ban and why the Supreme Court upheld its constitutionality in McConnell v. Federal Election Commission.

Fortunately, the Commission ruled correctly today that the ban on federal officeholders and candidates, and national party officials, soliciting unlimited contributions meant what it says and that it bans the activities raised in the Advisory Opinion request.