Senate Republicans to save millions of dollars on ads -- thanks to the FEC

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

Source: Politico

Senate Republicans are preparing to significantly escalate their plans to exploit a campaign-finance loophole that will allow them to save millions of dollars on TV advertising, irking Democrats who hoped federal regulators would block the GOP plan.

Republicans in late July began quietly piloting their new strategy: running campaign ads for a candidate, framed as a fundraising plea, to get cheaper ad rates and avoid awkward content restrictions. Democrats, furious at what they saw as the crossing of ethical and legal lines, asked the Federal Election Commission to weigh in.

With no restrictions imposed, Republicans, who have been facing a deep cash disparity with Democrats, are now preparing to turn what was a smaller-scale effort into a key component of their closing TV ad strategy.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee and its candidates already set up these fundraising vehicles in several states — and they added Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Nevada in recent weeks. Those committees have already been collecting money for a flood of the new, cheaper “fundraising” ads.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/10/10/fec-joint-fundraising-committee-ads-00183356

[Ferrets are Cool]

1. How is this fucking legal? JFC

[Diraven]

3. Because the FEC is deadlocked

3 Republicans to 3 Democrats. So every ruling to determine someone violates election law ends in a tie.

[Dee0909]

4. Why in the word do we have an FEC

What good are they????

[BOSSHOG]

2. If they'd only spent such effort on governance

[Phoenix61]

5. I have complete faith the Dems will take advantage of this ASAP. nt

[SupportSanity]

6. FEC - one of the many things that will need fixed after Dems win in November.

Just add this to a very long list.

[not fooled]

7. New and creative ways to cheat!

That's their principal skillset. Headed up by red don.

[onenote]

8. I don't understand why these ads would be "cheaper"

Candidates are entitled, by law, to what is referred to as the "lowest unit charge" for their ads: The "LUC" - or lowest unit rate as it sometimes is called -- requires stations to give candidates the lowest advertising rate for the same class and amount of time for the same period. This provides a candidate the benefit of all discounts offered to a commercial advertiser for the same class and amount of time, without regard to the frequency of the candidate’s advertising.

Ads that aren't "candidate" ads aren't entitled to the LUC and stations can charge them the same rates that they charge other advertisers.

[FBaggins]

12. That's actual the difference in this case

Candidates are entitled to that rate. Joint candidate/committee ads are not.

[keopeli]

9. Can Kamala with her bigger cash pile use the same loophole to counter and even drown out trump's ads?

[cstanleytech]

11. I suspect that the answer will be yes to that.

[keopeli]

13. Her campaign has been fast and creative responding to GQP shenanigans.

Like you, I'm confident they'll find an effective response.

[cstanleytech]

10. If they can do it so can the Democrats and the glove's will be coming off.

[LymphocyteLover]

14. Right? It seems like if Repubs are doing and there's no enforcement, then Dems are forced to do it too