Is a candidate raising money for an outside group?

Candidates may try to get around anti-corruption laws that prohibit them from raising large sums of money by appearing at fundraising events for super PACs and dark money groups — and having other people explicitly ask for contributions. Unlike candidates’ own campaigns, super PACs and dark money groups can accept unlimited amounts of money from individuals, labor unions, and corporations.

Additionally, candidates sometimes explicitly endorse outside groups that are spending money on their behalf, which sends clear signals to moneyed interests that large contributions will be rewarded with access and influence.

Examples:

President Donald Trump’s campaign has explicitly endorsed the America First Action super PAC as the sole “approved outside non-campaign group” supporting his 2020 re-election, and Trump has already attended multiple fundraising events for the super PAC.
Ahead of the 2016 election, Trump attended at least two super PAC fundraisers, including one event at the Jersey Shore mansion of Seryl and Charles Kushner, Ivanka Trump's in-laws, where participants also had the option of donating to a pro-Trump dark money group.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton began “personally courting” super PAC donors in May 2015, according to the New York Times, when she attended at least two events in California for the main super PAC that supported her unsuccessful 2016 White House bid.
During his unsuccessful presidential campaign, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) appeared at a super PAC fundraising event in New York City, where four pro-Cruz super PACs raised money.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney appeared at several fundraising events for the main super PAC that supported his failed 2012 presidential campaign.
President Barack Obama attended a small gathering in October 2012 at the Beverly Hills home of Hollywood producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, where some attendees had contributed $1 million to the Priorities USA Action super PAC that backed him.

What can be done?

The Federal Election Commission has interpreted current rules to allow for candidates to appear at fundraising events for super PACs and dark money groups — so long as they themselves do not solicit large-dollar sums.

The bipartisan Political Accountability and Transparency Act would explicitly prohibit candidates from appearing at fundraising events for outside groups that spend money on their behalf. Read more here.

Here are 5 other ways to spot coordination:

Is an outside group running an essential part of a candidate’s campaign?

Has a candidate appeared in ads sponsored by an outside group?

Did a candidate help start an outside group before launching their campaign?

Is a candidate sharing strategic campaign information with an outside group, or vice versa?

Are a candidate and an outside group using the same vendor for expenditures?

Is a candidate raising money for an outside group?

Examples:

What can be done?

Photo credits: Donald Trump by Gage Skidmore, Flickr cc by-sa 2.0. Barack Obama by Matt Johnson, Flickr cc by-nc 2.0.