|
|
 |
|
| Best Practices: Politics |
Give Wisely
Jill Duman
01/01/2008
|
"Wealthy individuals are increasingly aware that there are
limits, and that it’s convoluted," says Jan Witold Baran, a campaign finance
expert. If people are donating at these higher levels, they really need
assistance in monitoring their contributions, he says.
"The one thing we know for sure is that if you do something
wrong, you will become part of the news cycle in a way you would not like," says
Larry Sabato, the director of the Center for Politics at the University of
Virginia, who writes and comments on American politics. "It’s all available
online. It’s really easy to look into this, and often—given the number of
donors—you’re going to find someone who has done something wrong."
That kind of potential for bad publicity is enough to make
wealthy donors and corporations effective targets for enforcement. For that
reason alone, management of campaign donations is rapidly becoming a
professional legal specialty. "Just like you might hire an accountant, the
campaign finance area is becoming a niche," former FEC chairman Michael Toner
says.
Illustration by James Steinberg.
Jill Duman is a freelance writer based in Davis,
Calif.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
