Today’s Links
The Campaign Legal Center – “Voters Need to Know What “Redboxing” Is and How It Undermines Democracy“

NH Public Radio –  In N.H., Pro-Fiorina Super PAC Tests Boundaries in Campaign Ground Game
Get involved!  End Citizens United, American Promise

Listen: https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/americandemocracyminute/episodes/2022-05-15T08_51_53-07_00

You’re listening to the American Democracy Minute, keeping your government by and for the people.

The Campaign Legal Center just shared an article on  “Red Boxing,” the slimy ways that campaigns and political action committees are navigating around federal campaign finance rules.

The new limits for a personal contribution to a campaign for federal office is $2,900 per person.  But for a Super PAC, there are no limits to donations.  And the super-rich can give huge amounts, but only if the Super PAC doesn’t give the money to the candidate, AND there is no coordination on spending or strategy between the candidate and the Super PAC.  But campaigns are using a special spot on their public websites, often surrounded by a red box, to send a message to SuperPACs supporting their candidate on what they need done.  The Campaign Legal Center says that phrases like “voters need to see” signals messages to be delivered via TV ads, “read” is asking for direct mail, and “see on the go” is a request for digital ads. 

In the 2016 Presidential campaign, candidate Carly Fiorina’s “Carly for President” team used such red box techniques to communicate the candidate’s schedule in the NH Primary, while the “Carly for America” SuperPAC scheduled the venue, provided staffers, and communicated the event.  

Both parties use this sleazy practice, and so far, the Federal Election Commission has not taken substantive action.  

Links to the Campaign Legal Center article are at our website, AmericanDemocracyMinute.org/  

Granny D said, “Democracy is not  something we have, it’s something we DO.” 

For the American Democracy Minute, I’m Brian Beihl.