Definitions
- From Good Party:
. . . an individual who makes extraordinarily large political donations to a candidate, political party, or organization. These donations are often in the millions of dollars and greatly exceed the legal limits of donations set by the Federal Election Commission. Megadonors are often major players in American politics, contributing immense amounts of money to influence the outcomes of elections and policy initiatives.
In recent years, the influence of Megadonors has come under increased scrutiny from reform-minded critics. These individuals are often wealthy business owners and corporate executives who have taken advantage of the lax campaign finance laws in the United States to make large donations to candidates and organizations that align with their political beliefs. The result is a system in which a few wealthy individuals have a disproportionate amount of influence over the political process.
Given the outsized influence of Megadonors, reformers have advocated for stricter campaign finance laws to limit the power of these individuals. These reforms include capping the amount of money that can be donated to candidates and organizations, increasing transparency and disclosure requirements, and introducing public financing of campaigns to help level the playing field. By limiting the influence of Megadonors and introducing more equitable campaign finance laws, reformers hope to create a more democratic and responsive political system.
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For more:
- Issue One: Megadonors.
- Open Secrets: Who are the Biggest Donors?
- Washington Post: Meet the mega-donors pumping millions into the 2022 midterms.
- Market Watch: Meet the 10 biggest megadonors for the 2022 midterm elections.
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Megadonors in Texas:
- How two Texas megadonors have turbocharged the state’s far-right shift.
- GOP megadonor couple from Hill Country launch PAC for 2022 Texas elections.
- Right-wing megadonors paying big in Texas to replace GOP lawmakers with insurgent challengers.
- Texas' political mega-donors.
