Donations from Beyond the Grave.

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Author: Varoga, Craig1 cvaroga@VRstrategies.com

Sounds ludicrous, doesn't it, to set aside money for a posthumous donation -- and yet it's completely legal since the estate of a deceased person is a "successor legal entity" that qualifies as a "person" under federal election law (FEC Advisory Opinion 2004-2, http://ao.nictusa.com/ao/no/040002.html).

Big bucks: At least 100 deceased individuals had contributed $1.3 million in estate donations to political parties and federal candidates in the 14 years preceding 2005, according to study by the Center for Public Integrity. Recipients included Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., In the 2000 election cycle, political donations from deceased individuals totaled $245,000 and, in 2002, "a groundswell of activity in the deceased demographic raised that total to nearly $680,000." Some campaign finance reports listed the donors' occupations as "deceased."

Estate planners beware: The dearly departed must play by the same rules and laws as their living counterparts, i.e., all must have been legally qualified at the time of their deaths (e.g., could not have been non-citizens), and the amounts donated cannot exceed contribution limits placed on living individuals (e.g., only $5,000 to a PAC per calendar year).

It might increase voter interest in your campaign. So it's not a bad idea, provided it doesn't add humongous time to preparing packets and the notes actually stick to the doorhanger.

A recent study published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology (www.journalofconsumerpsychology.com) examined the influence of attaching a "seemingly insignificant Post-it note" to a survey packet on the likelihood of completing the survey. According to the study by Randy Garner, a professor at Sam Houston University, participants getting a packet with a Post-it note responded at significantly higher rates than those getting the identical survey either with either no sticky note, a blank Post-it with no message or the same message written on a cover sheet instead of a Post-it. Results suggest that the Post-it leads the request to be interpreted as a solicitation for a personal favor, facilitating a normative compliance response

Memo to client: One, stop making excuses. Two, take responsibility. Three, apologize if necessary for any excesses. Four, explain that mistakes sometimes are made in the zeal of protecting a loved one or family member. Five, remain supportive of your entire family, but stop interfering in the legal process. Six, ask both reporters and the public to understand that you need time to mend your lives. And seven, prove to your constituents that you're still doing your job - that's what you were elected to do, not play out life's inevitable dramas in public.

No. Even if you mean well- and there's no way of knowing that in your question - it will not come off well if you said something like, "My opponent is X, but I ask you as an X voter to still support my candidacy." You should, however, campaign in every community and aggressively seek the votes of everyone in your district.

Do a complete vet- including criminal and civil backgrounds, resume verification and past political affiliations.

What's the worst that could happen if you didn't vet your slate? Earlier this year, a Dallas Democrat in a legislative primary admitted that he had once worked as - oops - a prostitute. Several groups that had put him on their slate quickly withdrew their endorsements and, on primary day, he lost.

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Advice by Craig Varoga

Craig Varoga is CEO of the public affairs firm Varoga & Rice (www.VRstrategies.com.) E-mail questions to cvaroga@VRstrategies.com or fax to 713-522-00/40.