Santorum Violated Contribution Limits

March 31, 2006 was a very good fundraising day for Rick Santorum. The usual end of reporting period flurry of money poured in, especially from joint fundraising efforts. Thirty-eight people in particular wrote multiple checks to the campaign that day. Thirty six of those individuals gave three checks, (two gave that amount in several checks) each for $2100. That's a total of $6300 apiece, or $2100 more than the law allows. Two people gave one check for $2100 and two more, each for $2080. They gave a total of $6220 apiece.

Federal law allows individuals to contribute a maximum of $2100 for each of the primary and general elections. This effort, done jointly with other campaigns, obviously seems to violate the law. It means Santorum raised almost $80,000 more that day than allowed, pumping up his fundraising numbers for the quarter. None of the money is shown on FEC filings as being returned.

Perusing Santorum's contributors several trends are obvious. One neat trick is how he receives contributions from major players way over the maximum (not the above cited cases though) and then returns the funds. The explanation for this is obvious. Tricky Ricky has done some major events with headliners like the President. To pump up the number of money raised for the press releases they accept the $1000/plate checks from those they already know have maxed out to the campaign and then return the money after the event.

Getting back to the contributors who each gave $6300, it remains to be seen what explanation Santorum's campaign has for this violation. The fact each person is listed as making multiple contributions, all on the same day, 3/31/06, appears to be flagrantly trying to violate, at least, the spirit of the law. These are listed in his FEC filings as individual contributions through joint fundraising. Regardless, the law limits every individual to a maximum of $4200 each for a federal election cycle. Not $6300.

The following is the list of these people I compiled from Santorum's FEC reports available online at FEC.gov.

Marjorie S. Fisher, Palm Beach, FL

Carol Funk, Tampa, FL

Charles Funk, Tampa, FL

Yousif Ghafari, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Audrey Gruss, New York, New York

Martin Gruss, New York, New York

Herbert Gullquist, New Canaan, CT

Lori Hamilton, Jupiter Island, FL

Edward H. Hamm, Hobe Sound, FL

James W. Holton, Madeira Beach, FL

David L. Hunter, Winter Garden, FL

Patricia K. Inman, McLean, VA

William J. Inman, McLean, VA

Munr Kazmir, Closter, NJ

Mrs. Terry A. Kramer, New York, New York

Fred Lazenby, Nashville, TN

Carol Mack, Palm Beach, FL

Melody McDonald, Stanford, CA

Vera Monforte, Palm Beach, FL

Dean F. Morehouse , $5900 total contribution

Robert H. Morin

Jack F. Overstreet, Englewood, CO

Teresa A. Schar, Great Falls, VA

Sarah Anne Schar, Great Falls, VA

Martha M. Schar, Palm Beach, FL

Dwight Schar, Palm Beach, FL

Douglas Schar, Washington, D.C.

Ellen Teresi, Fort Lauderdale, FL $6,220

Joseph Teresi, Fort Lauderdale, FL $6,220

Mrs. Augusta Petrone, Dublin, NH

Joseph Petrone, Dublin, NH

Kay Phillips, High Point, NC

S. Davis Phillips, High Point, NC

Charles Patrick Roberts, Tallahassee, FL

Pam C. Roberts, Tallahassee, FL

William O. Brisben, Jupiter Island, FL

Christopher Clemente, Great Falls, VA

Louis DeJoy, Greensboro, NC