FEC Allows Unlimited Fundraising Against Calif. Redistricting Plan

[rumpel]

From Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The Federal Election Commission voted today to let members of Congress raise unlimited "soft money" to fight Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's redistricting plan in California.

The 6-0 decision came in response to a request from Reps. Howard Berman, D-Calif., and John Doolittle, R-Calif., both of whom oppose the redistricting initiative.

The decision will allow federal officeholders to raise unlimited sums from unions, corporations and other donors to support or oppose any measure on the ballot of the Nov. 8 special election called by Schwarzenegger.

In general, federal campaign finance law limits federal officeholders to donations of $5,000 from individual contributors for nonfederal electoral issues. Commissioners decided that those limits, which lawmakers enacted in 2002, should not apply in the case of the special election, in part because there are no federal candidates on the ballot.

full article:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-081805redistricting_wr,0,5532864.story?coll=la-home-headlines