Common Cause, a group that has long advocated campaign finance reform, wants to cut down on wheeling and dealing at this summer's political conventions by urging candidates not to give gifts to delegates who will decide the party presidential nominees.
“Nominations and elections should be decided based on experience and ideas, not on the size of one’s wallet,” said Common Cause President Miles Rapoport.
The organization made its request in letters to the two Democratic candidates — Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders — and three Republican contenders Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich.
The candidates are asked to sign a pledge “not to provide gifts, travel beyond reasonable reimbursement costs for attendance at the convention, food, and/or other tangible or intangible gifts to delegates," according to Common Cause, and to “disavow any independent entity supporting my candidacy that provides cash, gifts, travel, food and/or other tangible or intangible gifts to delegates.”
There are basically no laws on dealing with convention delegates, and various campaigns are assessing how to appeal them ahead of the party conventions in July. This is emerging as a concern particularly for Republicans, who at this point appear to have a string possibility of arriving at the convention with no candidate having secured the 1,237 delegates needed to win the nomination.
The requests follow media reports that individuals and groups supporting some candidates may attempt to ply delegates with a variety of personal gifts or favors. There also have been reports that some campaigns or candidate supporters may publicize the hotel room numbers of wavering delegates, potentially inviting harassment.
Rapoport said the candidates should insist that their supporters not use gifts to sway delegate votes. He also called on the candidates to press their respective parties to adopt convention rules barring gifts to delegates and alternate delegates by campaigns, candidate committees, political action groups, 501(c) tax-exempt organizations and other entities.
While outright bribery of delegates is illegal, Rapoport’s letter notes that rules created by the Federal Election Commission “offer little guidance” about how candidates and their supporters can use gifts of travel, food, and other benefits in an attempt to influence delegate votes.
“In this climate, the lavish wooing of delegates will only reinforce cynicism that politics is all about money. Your pledge to voluntarily ban gifts or other support for delegates will send a signal to voters that you are in tune with them in this election cycle,” Rapoport wrote.
