The federal campaign finance laws let individuals donate as much money as they wish to Delegates to presidential conventions, or to candidates for Delegate. However, the laws do not permit corporations to donate any money to Delegates, or to candidates for Delegate. However, on July 22, the FEC settled a lawsuit, and now will let non-profit corporations donate to Delegates or candidates for Delegate.

The lawsuit had been filed on May 25, 2016, by two unnamed Delegates to the Republican national convention. They had argued that they want to receive free legal help from a legal non-profit corporation, the Pillar of Law Institute. They said they might need legal help because they oppose Donald Trump and that Trump had threatened to sue or otherwise harass them if they tried to defeat Trump for the nomination. The Complaint had started out with these sentences: “The 2016 election season has become a dangerous environment. As explained by Roger Stone, ally of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, “We will disclose the hotels and the room numbers of those delegates who are directly involved in the steal.” The case is Unnamed Plaintiff #1 v FEC, filed in Wyoming U.S. District Court, 2:16cv-135. Thanks to the Center for Competitive Elections for this news.