FEC Ruling Will Help Candidates Raise Money

WASHINGTON — The Federal Election Commission gave a major boost to fund-raising in cyberspace on Thursday, agreeing to make credit card donations eligible for the federal matching funds presidential candidates receive.

“We recognize the reality that the Internet is here and a big part of our life,” FEC Chairman Scott Thomas said after the 6-0 vote. “We need to let it be used freely.”

Eager to find new outlets for money, financially struggling GOP presidential hopeful Lamar Alexander immediately hailed the decision as the “greatest innovation in how we conduct campaigns since the advent of television.”

Former Sen. Bill Bradley, who is challenging Vice President Al Gore for the Democratic nomination, prompted the ruling by asking the FEC this spring to qualify his Internet donations for the federal aid.

Although it was legal for candidates to accept donations over the Internet, the FEC had refused until Thursday to count those donations toward the millions in matching dollars the presidential candidates receive each election.

Under Watergate-era campaign finance laws, the government matches the first $250 of each individual contribution that a presidential candidate receives. In return, the candidate agrees to strict spending limits.