Breaking: FEC Says No To Matching Edwards ActBlue Funds
The Edwards campaign has been notified that the Federal Election Commission has decided to deny matching funds for contributions collected for him by ActBlue, upholding its earlier draft opinion and rebuffing the Edwards camp's request that the funds be matched.
Edwards campaign spokesman Eric Schultz sends over the following statement:
"Although today's decision by the FEC is a setback to the progressive grassroots movement, our campaign has all of the resources it needs to aggressively make our case to voters. Even without the ActBlue contributions included, we will meet our projected $10 million in matching funds."
Though the Edwards camp didn't budget for the matching funds, the move will deprive them of needed funds going into the early voting. And it is a big disappointment to progressives who had mounted a pressure campaign against the FEC, arguing that grassroots contributions such as those collected through ActBlue should be matchable, just as funds collected by lobbyists and special interests are.
Comments (26)
hopping mad wrote on December 14, 2007 3:59 PM:Ok... Act Blue can now outsmart them by re-funding the contributions and letting people direct their contributions directly to Edward's site... come on people, let's make this work... sheesh...
MNPundit wrote on December 14, 2007 4:19 PM:Unless they do that, Edwards is a 100% not viable as a general election candidate.
Time to bust out the Obama signs.
anonymous wrote on December 14, 2007 4:33 PM:MNPundit,
You obviously have no knowledge on this subject. How this relates in any way to the general is beyond me since it doesn't. This only relates to the primary.
I don't think this deprives the Edwards camp of any of the money it needs in the next month or so. The FEC has made a clearly boneheaded decision designed to upend broader participation in campaign funding from citizens. What a surprise that a Bush controlled FEC would make such a decision eh?
The Edwards campaign will continue just fine through Iowa and NH without problems. Once Hillary is off the map, which should be once NH is over and her support has evaporated, Edwards will be in a very strong position to continue.
This is no more than a hiccup despite the fact that Edwards' campaign has benefited from Actblue more than the rest. Get used to saying: "President Edwards."
correctnotright wrote on December 14, 2007 5:06 PM:Ouchhhh! I agreed with Edwards argument that Actblue contributors were designating money to him and not to a pac. I support either Edwards or Obama over clinton (but will vote for any Dem) - guess this makes Edwards much less viable in the general election.
Time to switch to Obama - just for practical reasons for the general election.
Joe wrote on December 14, 2007 5:18 PM:Ugh. First of all, this is not a deathblow for the Edwards campaign. It's a pain, yes, but how much of his fundraising was through ActBlue, and how much money is lost because of this ruling? Hopefully the campaign will release some numbers or someone will pour through the reports and get some hard numbers before this storyu gets out of hand.
But...is this the end for ActBlue? How does ActBlue change to get around this ruling?
EH wrote on December 14, 2007 5:20 PM:I support either Edwards or Obama over clinton (but will vote for any Dem) - guess this makes Edwards much less viable in the general election.
How are things in the Obama campaign office today? Weather pretty good, or getting wintery yet?
Hilltopper wrote on December 14, 2007 5:26 PM:Joe asks how much money Edwards raised on Act Blue. The answer is $4.3 million. OK, so as it stands, there is no match for it. That's all the ruling means.
I hope Edwards and Act Blue work out a refund and re-donate strategy, but even if not, Edwards is fine financially through the early states. And if he does well, money will pour in.
BTW, this has ZERO to do with the general election.
Hilltopper wrote on December 14, 2007 5:34 PM:I mentioned above that Edwards has raised a total of $4.3 million on Act Blue. Per his FEC report, as of 9/30/07, he had raised a total of $29.9 million overall.
Anonymous wrote on December 14, 2007 5:44 PM:If Edwards wins the Democratic nomination, the GOP will come out hard against him while he has to fundraise to make up for his completely empty coffers. Go read what Kos says about it. He basically said that he would be for Edwards if it weren't for that.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/12/12/175918/99/746/421319
Gus wrote on December 14, 2007 5:51 PM:Actually Hilltopper, $4.3 is the total amount raised on ActBlue, not all of which would be match-eligible anyway. so we're not talking about much more money than Clinton refunded (close to $2m) in donations that had been bundled by Norman Hsu or had been donated by Chinatown busboys.
votenic wrote on December 14, 2007 6:30 PM:2008 Presidential Election Weekly Poll
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Kos is for whomever will line his pockets, haven't you people smartened up that fact? This is a game to him.
Edwards is the best candidate running. His platform is what has lead the democratic campaign, across the board. His platform addresses the issues the majority of democratic and independent Americans care most passionately about.
Neither Hillary or Obama have a detailed plan, in fact they only came out with watered down versions of Edwards platform when they realized they had to come up with something to put forward. Whether you contact Clinton's or Obama's HQs, you can not get questions answered on the issues. Clinton's outright refuses to answer. Obama has you speaking to a telemarketer and you never get a call back. Clinton is obviously worse, but with Obama you can't help but wonder where he stands by what he doesn't say. Both are tied to Wall Street and a willingness to continue Bush's disastrous outsourcing economy. I will not vote for either of them.
If you don't want another republican presidency, vote for Edwards, otherwise you'll watch enough democrat and independent voters vote republican.. and that isn't some bad joke either.. it's the bare bones facts. I know most TPM readers are hideously out of touch with the wider realities in the US, so pooh-pooh this if you will, but your ivory tower will come crashing down if you don't wake up to the real world on this.
The American people are fed up, and they aren't taking any more of this. They're not only fed up with the far right wing, they're fed up with the far left wing as well... and there is more of them, then there are of you.
Rooktoven wrote on December 14, 2007 6:56 PM:You folks who are acting like you supported Edwards, but are switching to Obama over this are showing your true colors. Either you value money over all else or you were with Obama from the start.
Or both. Fortunately the asshole contingent isn't a proven voting bloc outside the GOP.
PR wrote on December 14, 2007 7:19 PM:Hillary or Obama cannot win the general election period.
yepper wrote on December 14, 2007 7:54 PM:PR is right. Neither of them can win.
Edwards can regardless of this FEC ruling that only crimps the campaign a bit, but doesn't slow it down. Edwards is going to be the nominee and the next President. So, I'd advise the suddenly overconfident Obama snarkers to pipe down lest they be as embarassed in a few weeks as Hillary's kool aid squad is today.
votenic wrote on December 14, 2007 8:54 PM:2008 Presidential Election Weekly Poll
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This FEC decision is a 'two-fer' for the Bush Administration. One, it is a direct assault on individual contributors through ACTBLUE. Second, it is an attempt to paint Edwards as being in trouble financially.
Every Progressive should be outraged that individuals contributing to any Democratic Candidate through ACTBLUE cannot have their contribution matched as the law requires.
But it will not affect the ability of the Edwards Campaign to carry out their strategic plans, since they already raised over $30mil WITHOUT the Matching Funds.
And this has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE GENERAL ELECTION.
Remember, who ever wins the Democratic Nomination will benefit from the fat coffers of the DNC.
Edwards was smart to get this issue out so that Progressives can see how they once again are being shafted by this criminal Administration.
LionelEHutz wrote on December 14, 2007 9:07 PM:All this means is that I'll donate my money directly to Edwards and not through Act Blue.
Iowan wrote on December 14, 2007 11:31 PM:You realize, of course, that nothing that has happened thus far affects Edwards in the general election. The Edwards campaign has made no decision about public financing in the general.
spencer wrote on December 15, 2007 10:24 AM:PR, you're half-right. Clinton *can* win (that does not, however, mean that I want her to - only that it will be very hard for the GOP to drive her negatives up any higher, and since that's the only campaign trick they have, they are out of luck).
Obama, however, can't.
Michael Markman wrote on December 15, 2007 10:35 AM:So, does this ruling mean that donors can get around the personal campaign limits by donating to $2300 to Edwards directly, and another $2300 through ActBlue? Just asking.
Richard L. Adlof wrote on December 15, 2007 10:37 AM:The correct answer to this one is:
1. Grab your mouse and click on the URL line.
2. Type " http://www.johnedwards.com " and press the [Enter] key.
3. Skip the intro screen.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page then click on the embedded 'Contribute' button.
5. Fill in the form. Contribute what you can . . .
ARG in Chicago wrote on December 15, 2007 10:52 AM:Edwards is my second choice. This FEC decision is bad for all Democratic candidates, and especially bad for those considered more of a "long shot".
Speaking of which, Dennis Kucinich is my first choice.
Today (December 15) is the anniversary of the Bill of Rights taking effect. Kucinich supporters are donating to his campaign today en masse, to highlight the fact that DK is the candidate who best supports our Constitution.
If you truly believe in our Constitution, then please support Dennis Kucinich, and please contribute directly to his campaign today. Thanks!
www.dennis4president.com
-- ARG
"This FEC decision is bad for all Democratic candidates, and especially bad for those considered more of a "long shot"."
Hmmmm, I'm not so sure that I agree. Could this indicate that the Bush administration WANTS Hillary as the Dem candidate? Something feels fishy here. Maybe this is the payoff for Bill being so chummy with Daddy Bush.
This FEC decision is bad for all Democratic candidates, and especially bad for those considered more of a "long shot".
Actually, it's only bad for those who have decided to accept matching funds. The candidates with corporate masters who can raise tons more money aren't bothered a bit.
But, if you're going to have candidates who aren't beholden to all those entities that continue to keep our government one of the corporations, for the corporations, and by the corporations, you have to start somewhere.
I know Kos thinks it's "monumentally stupid" to accept matching funds, but he's just following the conventional wisdom that gets us crappy candidates and crappy government.
Sandra Griffin wrote on December 18, 2007 11:58 AM:This totally unreasonable decision, that I have to say reeks of corrupt bias, is just one more reason why we need John Edwards for president. If they think that his supporters will be weakened by this, think again....it will make us more
determined than ever. I'm sure ACTBLUE
has records of who donated what, all they have to do is refund the money with a directive that those people go directly to John's Web page to re-donate the money, directly to his campaign. It won't change a thing!
