[EL] Serious Question About Romney Overseas Trip

[Craig Holman]

Speaking of NPR, Ira Shapiro had a rather amusing assessment this morning on Romney's fundraising mission to England and Israel. Many of you probably heard the story already, but those who may have missed the story, it begins:


"Things went astray before Romney touched ground.... Then Romney landed in England and things got worse."


http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=157467271&m=157467260 


Craig Holman, Ph.D.
Government Affairs Lobbyist
Public Citizen
215 Pennsylvania Avenue SE
Washington, D.C. 20003
T-(202) 454-5182
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F-(202) 547-7392
Holman at aol.com



-----Original Message-----
From: Peter Overby <poverby at npr.org>
To: 'John Tanner' <john.k.tanner at gmail.com>; Samuel Bagenstos <sbagen at gmail.com>
Cc: law-election <law-election at uci.edu>
Sent: Fri, Jul 27, 2012 10:37 am
Subject: Re: [EL] Serious Question About Romney Overseas Trip



Romney was at a London fundraiser in July 2011, and he’ll be at athird one in JerusalemSunday night. In ’07, Rudy Giuliani, Michelle Obama, and Bill Clinton (forHillary Clinton’s cmpn) all hit London.There were other primary candidates too, but not Obama himself. 
 
Raising moneyfrom American citizens overseas is not new. But there’s much moreinterest recently in tapping them for cash, and organizing them to vote.
 
I’ve yetto hear of a candidate attending a fundraiser anyplace other than London or Jerusalem.But their campaigns have a steady if small flow of money from overseas –mostly the UK, APO or FPO addresses, and US territories.
 
A couple storiesif you want to delve further... this week -- 
 
http://www.npr.org/2012/07/25/157381528/part-of-romneys-foreign-itinerary-raising-money
 
and 2007 --
 
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14537555
 
 
 



From:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu[mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of John Tanner
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2012 9:51AM
To: Samuel Bagenstos
Cc: law-election at uci.edu
Subject: Re: [EL] Serious Question About Romney Overseas Trip

 

My general recollection is that foreign trips - aEuropean swing and a trip to Israel- have been routine for non-incumbent candidates for President and somelocal (mayoral) candidates for decades.  They return with pictures ofthemselves talking to world leaders and they get to eat in Paris.

 

I have read that Obama/the First Lady have heldfundraisers abroad this year -- or actually I have seen headlines but havenot read the articles.  It seems odd  - actually kinda tacky -to me but I can't imagine how it would be constitutional to restrict it.

On Fri, Jul 27, 2012 at 9:40 AM, Samuel Bagenstos <sbagen at gmail.com> wrote:

Given the recent track record of this list, I hesitateeven to ask this question.  But I do think the answer is within thecollective knowledge of listmembers, and I am genuinely curious.  Ithought it was unusual when Barack Obama travelled abroad for a campaign swingas a nonincumbent presidential candidate in 2008.  Was there any precedentfor that trip?  Is this something that presidential candidates have alwaysor often done?  Similarly, it seems to me interesting that Mitt Romney isusing his trip abroad to host fundraisers in other countries.  Is thatsomething that Barack Obama or other presidential candidates have done?  Iassume there is no legal restriction on holding a fundraiser on foreign soil. Is that right?  Do my fellow listmembers believe such a restrictionwould be unconstitutional?  (Not a restriction on expats giving money toUS elections, which I think would be clearly unconstitutional, but arestriction on holding fundraising events on foreign soil.)  These areserious questions, and I am honestly interested in the factual and legalanswers.  

 

Thanks.

 

 



Samuel R. Bagenstos

Professor of Law

University of Michigan Law School

625  S. State St.

Ann  Arbor, MI  48109

sambagen at umich.edu

http://web.law.umich.edu/_FacultyBioPage/facultybiopagenew.asp?ID=411

http://disabilitylaw.blogspot.com/

Twitter: @sbagen

 

 





 



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