$4,600: That’s the max individual donors can give a campaign—$2,300 for a primary, the same for a general election. It’s still primary season, but some ‘08 candidates are taking in the full amount, thanks to a loophole that lets campaigns accept checks early.
BUNDLING: To raise big bucks, campaigns hit up donors to solicit checks from their friends, family and colleagues. Elite members of Hillary Clinton’s “Hillraisers” have pledged to raise $1 million apiece for her campaign.
527 GROUPS: Named for the federal tax code under which they file, these independent groups can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money on the election, as long as they don’t coordinate with other campaigns. One famous 527: the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which spent $22 million in 2004 to defeat John Kerry.
