A new sheriff in town?

Published on July 10, 2008
by Michael Schrimpf

File Under: Enforcement

Here at CCP,  we stand up for the First Amendment rights of speech, association, and petition by highlighting the effects of burdensome campaign finance regulations enforced by regulatory bodies.

Usually, the bodies that regulate political speech are purposefully chartered to police  campaign finance and ethics laws and often have Orwellian names like the "Fair Political Practices Commission." 

So, even we were a bit surprised when we read about the Minnesota Gambling Control Board investigation into the fundraising practices of Barack Obama.

Apparently, the Obama website says that any person who contributes more than $5 between now and July 31 "could be one of 10 supporters chosen to meet Barack Obama backstage" at the DNC convention in Denver.

According to the Star Tribune, "It further says that the 10 selected supporters can bring a guest and will be flown to Denver to spend two days at the Democratic Party national convention, including hearing Obama's speech on Aug. 28."

The article concludes:

The state Gambling Board website specifically states that one cannot conduct a raffle as a fundraiser for a political campaign. Only nonprofit charities may conduct raffles.

He said three elements make a drawing a form of gambling under state law: if it costs money to participate, if it involves "the luck of the draw" in which no skill is involved and if one wins something of value.

Barrett said that if one could participate in the drawing to become one of the 10 special guests without making a contribution, then it would not be gambling. But he could find no mention of that possibility on the Obama website.

He also said that if the website stated that the offer was void in Minnesota, it would also be legal.


Click HERE for another creative Obama fundraising idea.