Bloomberg Politics: Sanders Launches Activist Group Amid Questions About Its Set-Up
“Senator Sanders’s choice of a ‘c4’ organization to carry on the legacy of his presidential race is somewhat of an odd choice, because there are some stringent legal requirements,” said Paul Ryan, deputy executive director of the Campaign Legal Center in Washington. “No one’s ever really done this before to my knowledge.”
Federal law says a 501c4 maintained or controlled by a federal candidate or officeholder can’t solicit or receive funds affecting a federal election unless the funds are raised with limits and disclosed, Ryan said. While Sanders has said he won’t control the group, the ban still applies if he played a role directly or indirectly in establishing it, Ryan said.
Our Revolution leaders haven’t said how they will handle contributions, and there are other questions -- including how such a ban would be enforced for state and local races -- with little guidance from the Federal Election Commission, Ryan said.