The Status of Alabama Campaign Finance Issues | Burr & Forman

Alabama’s current state and local elections have brought renewed attention to campaign finance laws as many races see increased spending and donations. During this election cycle, the Alabama House of Representatives has been working to boost transparency in campaign finance by requiring all campaign finance reports to be filed electronically in a searchable database and prohibiting certain public officials responsible for an election to solicit donations. Amidst this record funding and change in laws, allegations against Super PACS and straw donors have ramped up, as well as concerns about the number of single-candidate PACS.

In the United States, a straw donor is a political donor who illegally uses another person’s money to make a political contribution in their own name. To combat this practice, the Campaign Legal Center (CLC) files complaints urging the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to investigate potential straw donors and other campaign finance violations.

On June 2, 2022, the CLC filed a complaint alleging Free Market, LLC was functioning as a straw donor to give a $250,000 contribution to Alabama Conservatives Fund, a single- candidate Super PAC exclusively supporting Katie Britt of Alabama, a U.S. Senate candidate who has significantly out-fundraised her opponents. According to the CLC, the contributors gave their political donation through Free Market in order to hide their identity. The CLC stated “It is deeply concerning that an LLC can be…