AO 2025-05: Commercial Vendor May Offer Contribution Processing Services and Candidate Meeting Information to Users and Subscribers

Excerpt:  “Politicalmeetings.com (PM.com) may allow its subscribers to make small monthly contributions to candidates and national political party committees via its web-based platform and provide subscribers access to non-public information about political meetings and events with candidates. The Commission concluded that PM.com’s proposed activities would not result in the making of contributions from PM.com or from its sole member to candidates or national political party committees. … In previous advisory opinions (cited within the opinion), the Commission has determined that the provision of contribution-processing services to a political committee by a commercial vendor does not constitute a contribution to the political committee if: 1) The vendor renders services in the ordinary course of business and at the usual and normal charge; 2) The vendor forwards contributions through a segregated account to candidates and political committees, and; 3) The vendor employs adequate screening procedures to ensure that they are not forwarding illegal contributions. The Commission concluded that PM.com’s proposed business model meets all three criteria.”