# Can You Contribute to Political Campaigns Anonymously?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-contribute-to-political-campaigns-anonymously/726116>\
**Category:** Politics & Elections\
**Created:** [July 24, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-contribute-to-political-campaigns-anonymously/726116 "2015-07-24T22:17:23Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-contribute-to-political-campaigns-anonymously/726116/1 "2015-07-24T22:17:23Z")

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What happens if you mail some cash to a political candidate you are interested in?

[I am not interested in getting on political mailing lists for the rest of my life…]

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**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\
**Post date:** [July 24, 2015, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-contribute-to-political-campaigns-anonymously/726116/2 "2015-07-24T22:29:56Z")

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[Mostly no](http://www.idea.int/political-finance/question.cfm?field=260&region=21).

> [@](#):
>
> Contributions of cash (currency) which in the aggregate exceed 100 [I 100] from one person are prohibited. If a committee receives a cash contribution exceeding 100 [I 100], it must promptly return the excess amount to the contributor. If an anonymous cash contribution over 50 [I 50] is received, the amount in excess of 50 [I 50] must be used for some purpose unrelated to federal elections.
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> ```
> "No person shall make contributions of currency of the United States or currency of any foreign country to or for the benefit of any candidate which, in the aggregate, exceed $100, with respect to any campaign of such candidate for nomination for election, or for election, to Federal office." Source: Title 2, Chapter 14, Subchapter 1, §441g "§432 [...] (c) Recordkeeping. The treasurer of a political committee shall keep an account of— (1) all contributions received by or on behalf of such political committee; (2) the name and address of any person who makes any contribution in excess of $50, together with the date and amount of such contribution by any person; (3) the identification of any person who makes a contribution or contributions aggregating more than $200 during a calendar year, together with the date and amount of any such contribution;" Source: Source: Title 2, Chapter 14, Subchapter 1, §432c (United States Code, Title 2, The Congress)
> 
> ```

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**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-you-contribute-to-political-campaigns-anonymously/726116/3 "2015-07-26T18:39:46Z")

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> [@PastTense](#):
>
> [I am not interested in getting on political mailing lists for the rest of my life…]

Most of the Democratic letters will be obvious from the outside, which is useful for sorting into the circular file. Republicans sometimes share their mailing list with [scammers of various sorts](http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1f9_1430955154). [NYT](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/16/us/politics/huckabee-pursues-unconventional-ways-to-fund-a-campaign.html?_r=0).  
Separately, amounts received over $200 during a calendar year will be reported to the FEC, and your name and address will later show up at [opensecrets.org](http://opensecrets.org). That’s for a PAC. [1] If the recipient is a political campaign, the cap is $200 over the election cycle. [2] And if it’s a Super PAC there is no public release of the contributor IIRC. Some donors might consider giving something like $195 to stay below the limit. Again though junk mail is a separate issue.

[1] See: Itemization of receipts for all political committees including authorized and unauthorized committees. (4) and paragraph (i) that follows. [eCFR :: 11 CFR 104.3 -- Contents of reports (52 U.S.C. 30104(b), 30114).](http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=a8f74e22426c2a67f75a4884e2b2348f&mc=true&node=se11.1.104_13&rgn=div8)

[2] Cite: " Candidates must identify, for example, all PACs and party committees that give them contributions, and they must identify individuals who give them more than $200 in an election cycle." [Help for candidates and committees | FEC](http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/fecfeca.shtml)