DEAN FIRST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DECLARED ELIGIBLE...

[newsguyatl]

DEAN FIRST PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE DECLARED ELIGIBLE
FOR PRIMARY MATCHING FUNDS IN 2004 RACE


WASHINGTON – Howard Dean today became the first 2004 presidential candidate to be declared eligible by the Federal Election Commission to receive federal matching funds. Dean is seeking the Democratic nomination for president in 2004.

To become eligible for matching funds, candidates must raise a threshold amount of $100,000 by collecting $5,000 in 20 different states in amounts no greater than $250 from any individual. Other requirements to be declared eligible include agreeing to an overall spending limit, abiding by spending limits in each state, using public funds only for legitimate campaign-related expenses, keeping financial records and permitting an extensive campaign audit.

Based on documents filed by the Dean campaign on June 17, 2003, contributions from the following states were verified for threshold purposes: California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

Once declared eligible, campaigns may submit additional contributions for matching funds on the first business day of every month. The U.S. Treasury Department will pay the FEC-certified amounts beginning in January 2004. The maximum amount a candidate could receive is currently estimated to be $18.6 million

[dajabr]

1. Another...

In a long line of "Firsts" for Dean! B-)

[dsc]

2. I helped a little woo hoo

My state is on the list. In all seriousness this is a great landmark for Dean but taking the funds may be in the long run a bad idea. I don't want Dean silent from April to June while W floods the airwaves.

[IkeWarnedUs]

3. Why would Dean have to be silent from April to June?

Even if he were to be "silenced" for some reason, his followers won't be. I wonder how many will be signed up for Dean Meet-ups a year from now . . .

[dsc]

4. He will hit the limits

I mean silent in the sense of TV air time not silent in the sense of not talking at all. True he will have grass roots which is good.

[dsc]

5. Kick

:kick:

[IranianDemocrat]

6. It's the beginning of the end for Bush!

eom

[Mairead]

7. Perhaps I'm missing something

...but Dennis announced his qualification a month or more ago. So what's going on?

[AnAmerican]

10. The Dean camp actually filed the paperwork

The reality is all the candidates with the exception of Moseley-Braun and Sharpton are probably eligible right now. They just have not officially filed yet. The whole thing is a non-story.

AnAmerican

[bearfartinthewoods]

8. thank you for putting Dean's name as the first word in the title

it makes it so easy to find all the candidate threads by sorting by "discussion topic"

thanks again!

[SCDem]

9. Yeah I helped in South Carolina

to get Dean over that threshhold!! I love democracy... especially grassroots democracy!