If you are like me, your inbox is stuffed with fundraising requests (and, in some cases, near-demands) from candidates, their representatives and political action committees. I am besieged by requests for money from candidates I never have heard of because I gave at some point in time to an affiliated candidate or organization.
Here is a helpful reminder as we approach Election Day: Read the fine print. Democrats and Republicans are both guilty of dubious tactics when it comes to fundraising. The money you give in response to a desperate plea might not be going where you intend it to go.
Here is a case in point. I got an email soliciting a contribution to Jon Tester’s Senate race I Montana. This may be the most important race in the country next to the presidential race. If Tester, the incumbent Democrat wins, we stand a chance of keeping the Senate. If he loses, we’re going to have to knock off Ted Cruz or Rick Scott in Florida to maintain control of the Senate and control of judicial nominations. Don’t need to tell you what that means with three septuagenarians on the Supreme Court.
But the return address on the email is “info@adamforcolorado.com.” That’s another candidate entirely and the ask is for a “split donation” of $12 or more. So if you want to give to Sen. Tester and hit the donate button, you go to a screen where your donation is split between Tester and Adam Frisch, a very good candidate for Congress in Colorado. It’s easy to overlook that when you go click, click, click.
Example No. 2: an email from James Carville, which should be suspicious on its face. He backed Michael Bennet for president in 2020 and advocated for a bizarre mini-primary with Bill Clinton and Barack Obama picking a nominee when it became apparent Joe Biden was in trouble. His email fumes about Mitch McConnell and Tester’s opponent with carefully bleeped-put expletives. Again, though, the donation takes you to a split page between Tester and Frisch.
I am only choosing these examples because they came in my inbox in the last day. Both sides are culpable in this, as well as setting up phony political action committees that raise money to raise more money. Case in point: the Conservative Majority Fund raised almost $10 million from 2012-2019, but only $48,400 of that sum went to political candidates and committees. U.S. Rep. Katie Porter of California did a great study of this a few months ago and it’s worth your time to read.
This is not designed to scare you into giving away to candidates or causes; it’s just a cautionary note as we approach Election Day. If you want to give to a candidate, you are better off going through their websites, and if you want to give to a committee, the Hanover Democratic Committee welcomes contributions with open hands. (You can help us defray the costs of 2024 yard signs and sample ballots.)
Be smart. Read the fine print. Look at the return email address. Give your money where it will do the most good.
