After nightfall in New Hampshire, Jeb Bush stood outside a Republican house party and told reporters that he hadn’t considered whether he would voluntarily disclose the names of “bundlers,” the men and women who increase their influence with a presidential candidate by collecting—or bundling—hundreds of donations of $5,400 or less.
For one, Bush wasn’t technically a presidential candidate when he was asked the question last month. And he still isn't officially in the race, as he continues to say he’s seriously weighing the possibility of running.
There's another reason why the former Florida governor may not have thought about providing those names: A new day is dawning in the way presidential campaigns—and potential candidates—are financed. And bundlers are becoming less important.
“If you really want to influence a candidate, or a future candidate, you give to an outside group,” said Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles who specializes in election law. “Direct contributions and bundling are increasingly becoming a way of the past.”
Potential presidential candidates this year–including Bush–are using outside groups to pay for traditional functions of an early campaign or political committee, including communications, policy development, and research. Unlike a presidential campaign or the committees that politicians are supposed to use while they consider running for the White House, these groups have no legal limits on contributions, which worries watchdogs.
More: www.bloomberg.com
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