# Did Romney break the law regarding foreign donations? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [August 14, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483 "2012-08-14T17:02:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Club\_33](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@Club\_33](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Club_33)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/1 "2012-08-14T17:02:00Z")
I was send this story this morning. On the surface, it would appear to be pretty damning, but I also know not to believe everything posted on the intertubes. Is there any merit to this or is it just blathering from a partisan site. What say you? [Foreign Cash Disqualifies Romney from Presidential Bid](http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/08/12/foreign-cash-disqualifies-romney-from-presidential-bid/) > [@](#): > > No other American presidential candidate has ever left the US to garner campaign contributions from foreign citizens. > > There is a reason for this, one that Romney and his staff seem oblivious to and the mainstream media had ignored until just recently. > > Using foreign contributions in any American election is a felony. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/2 "2012-08-14T17:09:11Z")
It does not sound credible at all. The folks I’ve seen named as the contributors who attended those dinners and such in London and Israel are American citizens. I’ve seen no evidence that there were foreign citizens giving cash at either event; that article seems to be leaping to a conclusion. [See here on the Israel fundraiser:](http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/at-fundraiser-in-israel-romney-describes-spiritual-impact-of-visit/2012/07/30/gJQAFXJpJX_story.html) “All of the donors are U.S. citizens, and many of them flew here from the United States to be with Romney during his 36-hour visit to Jerusalem.” ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/3 "2012-08-14T17:10:19Z")
And [here, for London:](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9429703/US-financiers-to-meet-in-London-for-Mitt-Romney-fundraiser.html)“A group of senior US financiers will tonight host a $25,000-a-plate fundraising dinner in London for US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.” ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/4 "2012-08-14T17:41:28Z")
Yeah, I think you’d have to actually prove Romney took money from foreign nationals before you can get too excited about this. Mind you, it’s not like there aren’t other things that the voting public could find interesting about these fundraisers, like why: > [@](#): > > ["Executives at Barclays have reportedly donated more than $1m (£645,000) to to US Republican presidential candidate Mr Romney’s election campaign.](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/9429703/US-financiers-to-meet-in-London-for-Mitt-Romney-fundraiser.html) They are set to hand over more this evening." [Given Barclay’s role in the LIBOR fixing scandal](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18671255), they’re maybe not the kind of folks you want to be publicly hanging out with right now. And given the limits on campaign contributions, that’s a pretty good mob of Barclay executives passing out the green. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_fun_ball/32/17664_2.png) [@Happy\_Fun\_Ball](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Fun_Ball)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/5 "2012-08-14T18:50:23Z")
I think Romney needs to prove he did not take funds from foreign companies, governments, and individuals. I saw some pictures of the fundraiser in London, and all those guys looked British to me. For those who don’t get that I am parodying all the stupid charges that were thrown up against the Obama administration over the years: 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/6 "2012-08-14T19:38:40Z")
Well, I know that’s a joke, but all of those contributions to his campaign are required by law to be disclosed. No such law exists to make presidential candidates disclose whether they are tax cheats, disloyal Americans, or plain old’ greedy bastards. ---
**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:** [August 14, 2012, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/7 "2012-08-14T21:17:55Z")
> [@Club\_33](#): > > [Foreign Cash Disqualifies Romney from Presidential Bid](http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/08/12/foreign-cash-disqualifies-romney-from-presidential-bid/) I didn’t read the whole article, but I looked at the pictures they choose to illustrate it and now I will believe anything they have to say. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/8 "2012-08-14T22:13:40Z")
There have also been [overseas fundraising efforts for Obama](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/obama-overseas-fundraisers-china-switzerland-349566) staged by the Obama Victory Fund. > [@](#): > > Last year, Obama’s reelection campaign raised $237,000 from American residents of Great Britain, $128,000 from U.S. expatriates in France and $113,000 from Americans living in Switzerland. This year, the Obama Victory Fund already has staged events in Paris, Cairo and Dublin. Does this mean we can disqualify both Romney and Obama and start from scratch? ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2012, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/9 "2012-08-14T23:17:51Z")
> [@Club\_33](#): > > I was send this story this morning. On the surface, it would appear to be pretty damning, but I also know not to believe everything posted on the intertubes. Is there any merit to this or is it just blathering from a partisan site. What say you? > > [Foreign Cash Disqualifies Romney from Presidential Bid](http://www.veteranstoday.com/2012/08/12/foreign-cash-disqualifies-romney-from-presidential-bid/) Wow, a loony site in general. Typically, they spew opinions based on a combination of bad facts and ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/10 "2012-08-15T01:55:56Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I didn’t read the whole article, but I looked at the pictures they choose to illustrate it and now I will believe anything they have to say. So does anyone know the um provenance of that one picture Exapno’s talking about? ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2012, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/11 "2012-08-15T12:13:17Z")
I thought it was Sora Aoi, but using google images yields only “Chinese prostitute”. Unless he’s talking about the diamonds. ---
**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:** [August 15, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/12 "2012-08-15T14:38:30Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > I thought it was Sora Aoi, but using google images yields only “Chinese prostitute”. Unless he’s talking about the diamonds. Of course I meant the diamonds. Why would I have interest in exposed human flesh? That’s for you puny mortals. Wait. I’ve said too much. Deleting… ---
**Author:** ![President\_T\_Toilet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@President\_T\_Toilet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_T_Toilet)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/13 "2012-08-16T01:09:59Z")
It’s actually legal to do now in large part to the Supreme Courts Citizens United vs the FEC decision and Congress failure to pass the Disclose Act. Just dump the money into a SuperPac and no one will know where the money comes from. Pretty sad really. ---
**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:** [August 16, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/14 "2012-08-16T03:07:53Z")
> [@President\_T\_Toilet](#): > > It’s actually legal to do now in large part to the Supreme Courts Citizens United vs the FEC decision and Congress failure to pass the Disclose Act. Just dump the money into a SuperPac and no one will know where the money comes from. Pretty sad really. Spare us the sanctimony. The Federal Election Commission on [contributions by foreign nationals](http://www.fec.gov/pages/brochures/foreign.shtml). > [@](#): > > The Prohibition > > The Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) prohibits any foreign national from contributing, donating or spending funds in connection with any federal, state, or local election in the United States, either directly or indirectly. It is also unlawful to help foreign nationals violate that ban or to solicit, receive or accept contributions or donations from them. Persons who knowingly and willfully engage in these activities may be subject to fines and/or imprisonment. There might be an interesting discussion about whether PAC contributions are indirect funds for purposes of this provision, but whether they are or aren’t nothing about the recent decisions you mention would change their status under the law. Just because donors don’t have to be disclosed doesn’t mean that accepting contributions from them are necessarily legal. You may be a new poster, but you’ll find out pretty quickly that glurge doesn’t go very far here. ---
**Author:** ![President\_T\_Toilet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@President\_T\_Toilet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_T_Toilet)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/15 "2012-08-16T11:47:53Z")
I should have used the term “loophole” as opposed to “legal”. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/16 "2012-08-16T13:35:13Z")
> [@President\_T\_Toilet](#): > > It’s actually legal to do now in large part to the Supreme Courts Citizens United vs the FEC decision and Congress failure to pass the Disclose Act. Just dump the money into a SuperPac and no one will know where the money comes from. Pretty sad really. This is completely false. Super PACs may not give donations to campaigns. They can only spend money on speech. Only a traditional PAC may give to a campaign, and it may not accept donations from foreign sources. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/17 "2012-08-16T13:36:28Z")
> [@President\_T\_Toilet](#): > > I should have used the term “loophole” as opposed to “legal”. It is not a loophole either. It is flat out illegal for foreign money, directly or through any other source, to make its way into the bank account of a candidate’s campaign. You can start all that stuff about how spending money on behalf of a candidate is just like a donation all you want, but it’s not the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![President\_T\_Toilet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@President\_T\_Toilet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/President_T_Toilet)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/18 "2012-08-16T17:00:20Z")
Ok I guess I should have used the term “illegal” instead of “loophole”. Either way it is still a major problem and needs to be rectified. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/19 "2012-08-16T17:19:23Z")
> [@President\_T\_Toilet](#): > > Ok I guess I should have used the term “illegal” instead of “loophole”. Either way it is still a major problem and needs to be rectified. No, it is not a loophole. Foreign donations are illegal, period. Why is it a major problem? Is it a major problem that foreign journalists or anyone else can have opinions about American elections and Americans can see and hear what they say? Should we ban all foreign speech coming into our country? Ban all foreign newspaper sales here? Jam the airwaves like Cuba does? ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2012, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483/20 "2012-08-16T17:42:51Z")
> [@President\_T\_Toilet](#): > > Ok I guess I should have used the term “illegal” instead of “loophole”. Either way it is still a major problem and needs to be rectified. Rectified? Does Congress need to pass a law that designates foriegn political contributions as being not just “illegal,” but “double-secret illegal?” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-romney-break-the-law-regarding-foreign-donations/631483.md?page=2)