The Campaign-Finance
Contraversy

 As President Bill Clinton completed his run for reelection in 1996, newspapers began to reveal how the Democratic Party had raised money for the campaign. The White house had organized coffee parties with the President for contributors who gave $50,000 or more. The biggest donors were invited to stay overnight in the White House in the Lincoln Bedroom. commentators joked that the President was operating the most expensive coffee shop and hotel in the world. Many people felt that it was inappropriate to "sell" access to the White House. Clinton responded that elections "take to much money, and it takes too much time to raise money , and it always raises questions."

In the summer of 1997, a Senate commitee led by Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee held public hearings on campaign financing. The hearings reveled that Democratic fund-raisers may have broken campaign laws by accepting money from foreign businesses and governments, and that the Republicans - who raised more money in 1996 than the Democrats- may have also accepted money from overseas. Most Americans agree that reforms in campaign financing are badly needed, but many lawmakers who claim they favor reforms don't really want changes because they don't want to limit their own fund-raising efforts.

DID YOU KNOW....The law allows a contributor to give only $2,000 to a candidate, but permits unlimited contributions to a party.

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