Digital Cash application

[Declan B. McCullagh]

Excerpts from internet.cypherpunks: 19-Jun-96 Re: Digital Cash
application by jim bell at pacifier.com 
> It seems to me that since paying people funds that were stolen from them 
> would produce good publicity, which by definition could be argued to be 
> spending it on the campaign.  Sure, it's a non-traditional tactic, but that 
> doesn't mean it's in violation of the campaign law.  They could also email 
> along a set of libertarian literature, and the recipient would certify that 
> he would promote the libertarian cause and work for the election of the 
> candidate, etc, etc.

Jim: I've worked on a presidential campaign before and can tell you that
if the FEC is likely to consider something a violation, the campaign is
not going to skirt the line.

That said, perhaps the law is outdated and needs to be changed. The
portion of the campaign finance law, as intepreted by the FEC, barring
online services from providing free accounts to political candidates, is
now being scrutinized in Congress. Rep. White will introduce a reform
bill in about two weeks.

-Declan