[EL] Serious Question About Romney Overseas Trip

[Tony Corrado]

Given the limits on a candidate's time, the campaigns also conduct
fundraisers with surrogates. For instance, Romney's sons attended a
fundraiser in Hong Kong earlier this cycle. And the outreach to
citizens living abroad via online means also offers a way to receive
contributions.

Seeking funds from American citizens living abroad grew substantially
in the 2008 presidential election. In that election, according to the
best available estimates, Obama raised $5.4 million from citizens
living abroad; McCain, $1.5 million, for a total of $6.9 million. That
compared to about $769,000 in 2004, when Kerry received more than
$436,000 and Bush more than $332,000 (Keep in mind that both
participated in the general election public funding that year, one of
the key differences with 2012). Through May, the Obama campaign has
raised an estimated $3.1 million, Romney $1.3 million from citizens
living abroad.

One other difference from the past seems to be more emphasis on joint
fundraising activity at these overseas events, raising the maximum for
the campaigns and for the national party committees.

On Fri, Jul 27, 2012 at 10:35 AM, Peter Overby <poverby at npr.org> wrote:
> Romney was at a London fundraiser in July 2011, and he’ll be at a third one
> in Jerusalem Sunday night. In ’07, Rudy Giuliani, Michelle Obama, and Bill
> Clinton (for Hillary Clinton’s cmpn) all hit London. There were other
> primary candidates too, but not Obama himself.
>
>
>
> Raising money from American citizens overseas is not new. But there’s much
> more interest recently in tapping them for cash, and organizing them to
> vote.
>
>
>
> I’ve yet to 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 stories if 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
>
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> ________________________________
>
> 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 9:51 AM
> 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 - a European swing and a trip
> to Israel - have been routine for non-incumbent candidates for President and
> some local (mayoral) candidates for decades.  They return with pictures of
> themselves talking to world leaders and they get to eat in Paris.
>
>
>
> I have read that Obama/the First Lady have held fundraisers abroad this year
> -- or actually I have seen headlines but have not 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 hesitate even to ask this
> question.  But I do think the answer is within the collective knowledge of
> listmembers, and I am genuinely curious.  I thought it was unusual when
> Barack Obama travelled abroad for a campaign swing as a nonincumbent
> presidential candidate in 2008.  Was there any precedent for that trip?  Is
> this something that presidential candidates have always or often done?
> Similarly, it seems to me interesting that Mitt Romney is using his trip
> abroad to host fundraisers in other countries.  Is that something that
> Barack Obama or other presidential candidates have done?  I assume there is
> no legal restriction on holding a fundraiser on foreign soil.  Is that
> right?  Do my fellow listmembers believe such a restriction would be
> unconstitutional?  (Not a restriction on expats giving money to US
> elections, which I think would be clearly unconstitutional, but a
> restriction on holding fundraising events on foreign soil.)  These are
> serious questions, and I am honestly interested in the factual and legal
> answers.
>
>
>
> 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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-- 
Anthony Corrado
Department of Government
Colby College
5302 Mayflower Hill
Waterville, ME 04901

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