主题：2012 大选周记 之一 -- 切地雷

发现楼上霜华兄所引文章的表述不甚精确。根据美国联邦选举融资的相关法律规定，

Prohibited Contributions and Expenditures

The FECA places prohibitions on contributions and expenditures by certain individuals and organizations. The following are prohibited from making contributions or expenditures to influence federal elections:

1.Corporations;

2.Labor organizations;

3.Federal government contractors; and

4.Foreign nationals.

Furthermore, with respect to federal elections:

1.No one may make a contribution in another person's name.

2. No one may make a contribution in cash of more than $100.

In addition to the above prohibitions on contributions and expenditures in federal election campaigns, the FECA also prohibits foreign nationals, national banks and other federally chartered corporations from making contributions or expenditures in connection with state and local elections.

----出处：美国联邦选举委员会编The FEC and the Federal Campaign Finance Law Brochures

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那2010年美国最高院案例改变地到底是什么呢？In Citizens United v. FEC, the Supreme Court struck down the decades-old federal ban on independent expenditures by corporations (and unions) to influence federal elections. The Court reasoned that the First Amendment does not permit laws to discriminate between corporations and individuals when it comes to electoral spending that is independent of candidates and political parties. However, the federal ban on direct corporate and union contributions to candidates and parties was not considered and remains in effect.

----出处：A GUIDE TO THE CURRENT RULES FOR FEDERAL ELECTIONS

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那么，到底什么属于independent expenditures呢？An independent expenditure is an expenditure for a communication which expressly advocates the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidate and which is made independently from the candidate's campaign. To be considered independent, the communication may not be made with the cooperation, consultation or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate or his/her authorized committees or a political party, or any of their agents. While there is no limit on how much anyone may spend on an independent expenditure, the law does require persons making independent expenditures to report them and to disclose the sources of the funds they used. The public can review these reports at the FEC's Public Records Office.

----美国联邦选举委员会编The FEC and the Federal Campaign Finance Law Brochures

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简单说，一个公司，比如说谷歌，希望奥巴马当选，但是谷歌不能直接捐钱给奥巴马或其竞选团队，不能送钱给他们花，但谷歌可以怎么做呢？他们可以在和奥巴马的竞选团队没有任何合作共谋商谈咨询的前提下，自动自发地拍一个赞扬奥巴马的小短片，或者捐钱给一个PAC（ political action committee ）拍，然后去某个电视台买下一个时段，在选举期的那60天内滚动播放，来表达他们“支持”奥巴马的这种主张，美国最高院认为这属于宪法第一修正案所保护的自由表达权。

这里的一个关键概念是PAC，2010年判决出来后，就有很多批评说，候选人可以通过相关的PAC来接受公司的巨额捐款（称之为super PAC)用于广告宣传或公关。但是从实践来看，这样的做法反而在选举人中引起了巨大的反弹，正如麦凯恩在2010年所说，"there's going to be, over time, a backlash ... when you see the amounts of union and corporate money that's going to go into political campaigns". 甚至有人说国会议员们将会意识到这个判决其实是 "they have cut their own throats."

就2012年的选举，针对super PAC, 下述行为视为非法：1. accept foreign funds；（Super PACs were seen in the press as a ready vehicle to allow the easy disguise of illegal foreign donations from both individuals and overseas companies.

----出处：STEPHEN BRAUN,Foreign donations are a risk in super PAC setting

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2. to coordinate directly with a candidate. （这点不展开了）

所以就你关于外国政治献金的问题，答案很可能是：从原则上来说不允许。从历史的选战来看，接受外国献金是非常严重的指责或抹黑，比如2004年的克里。

但是我也就今晚花了点时间做的调查，很多概念我自己也没怎么弄清楚，英文的很多东西也没吃透，不敢冒然翻成中文（倒不是托大，故意贴英文）这个答复难免失误或疏漏，或存在我理解错误的地方，回头再继续探讨吧。