soft money

American  

noun

1. money contributed to a political candidate or party that is not subject to federal regulations.

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soft money British  

noun

1. politics (in the US) money that can be spent by a political party on grass-roots organization, recruitment, advertising, etc; it must be deposited in a party's non-federal (state-level) bank accounts, and must not be used in connection with presidential or congressional elections Compare hard money

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

soft money

The soft money scandal was shut down in 2002 by the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, also known as the McCain-Feingold Act, enacted with strong bipartisan support.

From Washington Post ● Jan. 20, 2020

“My family is the biggest contributor of soft money to the Republican National Committee,” she wrote in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call.

From The New Yorker ● Nov. 23, 2016

Lazio infamously walked over to Clinton’s podium during the debate, demanding she sign a pledge to forgo a form of donations known as soft money.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 24, 2016

Producer Finola Dwyer secured $8million of the movie's $11-million budget in "soft money," a medley of international co-production treaties.

From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 29, 2015

Why, there ain't a thing he can't do, from herdin' sheep to winnin' a wad of soft money!

From His Dog by Terhune, Albert Payson