WASHINGTON, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. Federal Election Commission ruled Thursday lawmakers can give nearly unlimited personal donations to voter registration drive efforts.
The 5-1 decision -- prompted by a request by Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., and chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee -- allows members of Congress, such as former investment banker Corzine, to give unlimited soft money contributions from their own fortunes to political groups conducting get-out-the-vote campaigns.
The one caveat is that donations are limited to a level that would now allow the lawmakers to be the primary funding source of the nonprofit group.
Under federal campaign finance laws, members of Congress are barred from making large soft money contributions directly to political campaigns and some non-profit political groups.
The FEC also agreed Thursday to consider new regulations that would exempt televised advertising for documentaries from an existing ban on advertising in the final weeks before a national election.
The issue was raised in the wake of the success of Michael Moore's film "Fahrenheit 9/11," which is critical of the Bush White House.
