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| Bundling is the process where supporters pool together a large number of contributions from individuals and PACs in order to maximise the impact that the money has. For example instead of handing over one $100,000 cheque to a candidate from a corporation or union, you hand over 50 $2,000 checks from several individuals. This is perfectly legal and has some benefits over handing over the money in one large sum. Often this is because the person organising the bundles is a corporate executive or lobbyist who would possibly expect something in return.
There are two types of Bundling.
The first is where all the individual contributions from the same corporation, industry or interest group all reach the candidate at the same time - making a bigger impact than a steady trickle of contributions. These are incredibly effective in getting yourself and your interest noticed as the huge boost to the finances will be considered to be solely your interest groups contributions, and means that the candidate should take you views into account when formulating his policies.
The second involves a "conduit" who delivers all the contributions together. This stresses to the candidate who the money has come from and what they would expect in return. Furthermore if the organiser does not physically touch the donations the original contributor and the organiser do not have to be publicly disclosed to the FEC.
This sort of Bundling has led to the Rangers and Pioneers program the Republican Party brought in to aid the election of George W Bush.
Pioneers were Bundlers who had signed a written pledge to raise at least $100,000 in funds for the George W Bush campaign in 2000. The Bundlers would ask their contributors to write a specific tracking number on the cheques, so that the Bundler would get credit, but also would avoid any need to disclose the Bundler's name to the FEC. Those that managed to do this were given the title of "Pioneer" and received privileged treatment by the campaign committee. Through this campaign Bush received anywhere from $22 million to $53 million from 212 to 535 Pioneers.
Rangers are the creation of the new individual contribution laws of a maximum contribution to a party of $2,000 per person. This was double the previous amount and Bundlers who achieved the sum of $200,000 in contributions were given the title of "Rangers". This was particularly effective in the 2004 election.
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