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

Others have invested pots of “soft money” — long-term loans with exceptionally low interest rates.

From New York Times

The pair argued that the law’s ban on soft money and other activities limited the first amendment rights of the NRA and other groups.

From Washington Post

Ten days before an election is when you’d expect to find a biting analysis of the latest presidential debate, or another blast about soft money fueling out-of-control campaign advertising in this space.

From Washington Times

Vaux says that most early-career researchers in Australia are funded by external grants and other forms of ‘soft money’ that do not include paid salaries, not by their home institutions.

From Nature

The movement eventually succeeded in sharply limiting resources available to parties, known as “soft money.”

From Fox News