Michael Toner Discusses Online Fundraising Platform

June 12, 2015

Michael E. Toner, co-chair of Wiley Rein’s Election Law & Government Ethics Practice, was quoted in an article published yesterday in The Washington Post about a website that makes donations to the campaigns of sitting members of Congress based on how they vote.

According to the article, the website If.Then.Fund. collects donations from people who have a desired outcome for a piece of legislation. The money is then divided among lawmakers who voted in the desired way.

Mr. Toner described the website as “innovative” and noted that the Federal Election Commission (FEC) has reviewed the legality of a number of online fundraising platforms in recent years.  Mr. Toner further stated that waiting until after a vote to make a donation creates “an important safeguard because it precludes finding that there is a link or nexus between potential campaign contributions and how members of Congress vote on particular bills.”

The article can be found here.