What Is Bundling In Politics?
Bundling is a form of political fundraising in which one person or a small group of people convince their friends, coworkers and other like-minded donors to write checks to a candidate for public office.
Related: How to Start Your Own Super PAC
The term bundlers is used to describe the person or small group of people, often times lobbyists, who deliver these checks in one lump to a political campaign.
Bundlers are often rewarded by successful candidates with plum positions in an administration or other political favors.
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Bundling is legal albeit regulated way for a campaign supporter to get around individual contribution limits set forth in federal campaign finance laws. An individual can contribute $2,600 at most to a candidate for federal office in a single election cycle.
The Federal Election Commission requires that candidates for federal office disclosure the funds bundled by registered lobbyists, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Responsive Politics.
Related: What is Dark Money?
Sometimes candidates voluntary disclose the names of large bundlers. In the 2008 presidential election, for example, Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican nominee John McCain both agreed to make public the names of bundlers who raised more than $50,000.
Related: Wealthiest Presidential Candidates
The FEC rules, however, are considered loose by government watchdogs and easily circumvented by crafty bundlers and lobbyists wishing to remain out of the public eye.
Bundlers are responsible for generating tens of millions of dollars to their preferred candidates. In the 2012 presidential race, for example, bundlers delivered about $200 million to Obama's campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Related: How Much Did the 2012 Presidential Race Cost?
"Bundlers, who are often corporate CEOs, lobbyists, hedge fund managers or independently
wealthy people, are able to funnel far more money to campaigns than they could personally
give under campaign finance laws," reports the good-government group Public Citizen.
According to Public Citizen, bundlers who deliver large amounts of campaign cash to candidates have been rewarded with access to prominent advisers and strategists, official titles and privileged treatment in campaigns, and ambassadorships and other plum political appointments.
The Center for Public Integrity reported that Obama rewarded about 200 bundlers with jobs and appointments.
Related: How to Search for Campaign Contributions Online
"Just like other presidential aspirants, Obama relied heavily on mega-donors to propel his campaign across the finish line and many fundraisers have shared in the spoils of victory," the watchdog group reported in 2011.
Related: Who Pays for Political Campaigns?
"Some took jobs in pivotal federal agencies such as the Department of Justice, Department of Energy and the Federal Communications Commission, while others have served on influential advisory commissions and boards that meet periodically to help formulate policy. Two dozen have been appointed ambassadors to foreign countries."
Related: How to Start Your Own Super PAC
The term bundlers is used to describe the person or small group of people, often times lobbyists, who deliver these checks in one lump to a political campaign.
Bundlers are often rewarded by successful candidates with plum positions in an administration or other political favors.
Related: Can You Donate Bitcoins to Political Candidates?
Bundling is legal albeit regulated way for a campaign supporter to get around individual contribution limits set forth in federal campaign finance laws. An individual can contribute $2,600 at most to a candidate for federal office in a single election cycle.
Disclosure Laws on Bundlers
The Federal Election Commission requires that candidates for federal office disclosure the funds bundled by registered lobbyists, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Responsive Politics.
Related: What is Dark Money?
Sometimes candidates voluntary disclose the names of large bundlers. In the 2008 presidential election, for example, Democratic nominee Barack Obama and Republican nominee John McCain both agreed to make public the names of bundlers who raised more than $50,000.
Related: Wealthiest Presidential Candidates
The FEC rules, however, are considered loose by government watchdogs and easily circumvented by crafty bundlers and lobbyists wishing to remain out of the public eye.
How Much Money Are We Talking?
Bundlers are responsible for generating tens of millions of dollars to their preferred candidates. In the 2012 presidential race, for example, bundlers delivered about $200 million to Obama's campaign, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
Related: How Much Did the 2012 Presidential Race Cost?
"Bundlers, who are often corporate CEOs, lobbyists, hedge fund managers or independently
wealthy people, are able to funnel far more money to campaigns than they could personally
give under campaign finance laws," reports the good-government group Public Citizen.
Rewarding Bundlers
According to Public Citizen, bundlers who deliver large amounts of campaign cash to candidates have been rewarded with access to prominent advisers and strategists, official titles and privileged treatment in campaigns, and ambassadorships and other plum political appointments.
The Center for Public Integrity reported that Obama rewarded about 200 bundlers with jobs and appointments.
Related: How to Search for Campaign Contributions Online
"Just like other presidential aspirants, Obama relied heavily on mega-donors to propel his campaign across the finish line and many fundraisers have shared in the spoils of victory," the watchdog group reported in 2011.
Related: Who Pays for Political Campaigns?
"Some took jobs in pivotal federal agencies such as the Department of Justice, Department of Energy and the Federal Communications Commission, while others have served on influential advisory commissions and boards that meet periodically to help formulate policy. Two dozen have been appointed ambassadors to foreign countries."
