FEC Approves Fundraising Plan for 2016 RNC/DNC Conventions
On October 9, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) approved an advisory opinion permitting national parties to finance their presidential nominating conventions through private contributions.
Under the plan, the Republican National Committee (RNC) and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) may establish convention committees to raise funds under a separate contribution limit that is not shared with the RNC or DNC. Because the convention committees are considered to be new national party committees, they will be able to accept up to $32,400 (to be adjusted for inflation) per calendar year from individuals and $15,000 per calendar year from multicandidate PACs. Corporations, labor organizations, federal government contractors, and national banks are prohibited from contributing to national party committees, including the new convention committees.
The RNC and DNC have historically created separate convention committees to plan their presidential nominating conventions (i.e., the Committee on Arrangements for the Republican National Convention and the Democratic National Convention Committee), but the convention committees were almost entirely financed through grants from the federal government. Congress eliminated public funding for presidential nominating conventions in April, leaving the national parties to find a way to privately finance their presidential nominating conventions. As of the date of publication, neither the RNC nor DNC have formed their 2016 convention committees.
