How much is 1 dollar worth?
To Gov. Doug Burgham of North Dakota.
Bergum says several Republican presidents are working hard to reach the key criteria to qualify for the party’s first preliminary debate on Aug. 23, a condition only candidates can attend. one of the candidates. Have at least 40,000 individual donors Participating in their campaign is allowed on stage.
a long-term candidate At the bottom of a recent poll, Bergum gave a $20 gift card to the first 50,000 people who donated at least $1 to his campaign. And, as his campaign advertises on his Facebook, one lucky donor has a chance to win his Yeti Tundra 45 cooler, which usually costs over $300. But at least he donates $1. A rare offer is previously reported By FWIW, a newsletter that tracks digital politics.
Bergum’s insistence on prioritizing donors over actual funds has led some candidates to take the debate stage and fight against Republican front-runner Donald J. Trump and his arch-rival. It’s a desperate attempt to grab some national attention from a certain Trump. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Another Republican candidate, former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey, recently ended a campaign ad with a direct plea: “Donate today and put Chris Christie on the debate stage.”
Bergum’s campaign turned the gift card giveaway into an attack on President Biden, acknowledging that their demands were directly tied to the debate.
“Doug knows people are suffering because of Bidenflation and giving the Biden economic relief gift card will help 50,000 people until Doug is elected president and this crazy It’s a way to solve the economy for everyone,” said Bergum campaign spokesman Lance Trover.
Trover said the effort would allow the campaign to “secure its place on the debate stage while avoiding paying more advertising dollars to social media platforms with conservative-hostile owners.” I added that I did.
FWIW newsletter author Kyle Tharpe, who reported on the recruitment, said he donated $1 to the Bergum movement as part of the reporting process. He said he has not received any follow-up information on how to receive the gift card.campaign later revealed on twitter 50,000 donors will receive a Visa or Mastercard gift card to their mailing address.
The campaign did not respond to a request for comment on how many donors have donated so far.
Paul Ryan, a campaign finance attorney, said campaign cash donation strategies could raise potential legal concerns. Voters who donate in exchange for a gift card may be considered straw donors, as part or all of the donation will be reimbursed by the campaign, he said.
“Federal law states, ‘No person shall make a donation in the name of another person,'” Ryan said. “Here, the candidate is donating to himself in the name of all the individual donors.”
Richard L. Heysen, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles who specializes in election law, said campaigns typically solicit contributions from the Federal Election Commission for new forms of giving.
He said the Brugum campaign “certainly looks novel” and “raises concerns about whether it violates the ban on straw donations.”
But some of the legal uncertainty stems from the fact that “functionally, the campaign spends a lot of money to get a small donation,” Hasen added.
Mr. Bergum is not alone in using his vast wealth to bolster his campaign. He is a former software company executive who sold the company to Microsoft in a $1.1 billion stock deal.
Perry Johnson is also a businessman. announced a wishful bid Republican Presidential Candidates and Who Ran for Governor of Michigan Last year, he spent $80,000 to $90,000 on ads promoting $1 hats that said, “I identify as a ‘non-Biden supporter,'” according to Facebook records. His campaign announced in his latest ad that it had reached 10,000 donors.
To be eligible for the first presidential debate, candidates must have a minimum of 200 unique contributors per state in 20 states and territories, according to the Republican National Committee that set the rules. There is a need. They must also win at least 1 percent in multiple national or early voting state polls approved by the Commission.
Shane Goldmatcher Contributed to the report.
