FEC Permits Corporate, Union Donations for Political Party Conventions

[Freddie Stubbs]

Federal election regulators decided Thursday to allow corporations and unions to continue making large contributions to finance the two political parties' presidential nominating conventions despite a new law outlawing such donations in elections.

The Federal Election Commission unanimously ruled that the law passed by Congress last year did not apply to fund raising by the local committees in the host cities that help the parties stage the nominating conventions.

Democrats are meeting in Boston next July; Republicans are holding their convention in August 2004 in New York City.

FEC Chairwoman Ellen Weintraub said Congress did not mention the conventions in the campaign finance law it sent to President Bush for his signature. She likened corporate contributions to the conventions to corporate sponsorships of sporting events such as the Super Bowl.

more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40892-2003Jul24.html?nav=hptoc_p