Wisconsin State Journal: Gov. Scott Walker Forms Committee to Explore 2016 Presidential Run

The reason that Gov. Walker would set up a ‘527’ as opposed to a political campaign committee is that it’s not subject to any contribution limits,” said Paul S. Ryan, senior counsel for the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center. “And they can take money from any source, including corporations and nonprofit corporations.”

But Ryan added that some activities — such as polling, telephone calls and travel for the purpose of determining whether to become a candidate — constitute “testing the waters” and must be paid for with funds raised under the $2,600 candidate contribution limit, and would be subject to the ban on corporate contributions.

“The challenge with enforcing these federal laws is ascertaining whether an individual like Mr. Walker is or is not spending money on travel or other activities to determine whether to become a candidate,” Ryan said.

To read the full story in the Wisconsin State Journal, click here.