Three years ago during the primary campaign vs. Ned Lamont, the Lieberman campaign paid $387,000 in cash and called it 'petty cash'. In doing so, the campaign broke several election rules. Ned Lamont complained to the Federal Election Commission, and they started investigating in late 2006. Now that the election is over, and while it's still several years before the next election, the Lieberman campaign has agreed to pay a $50,000 fine. For a campaign that gets millions of dollars, this is a slap on the wrist.
The rules (from the New Haven Register story):
Campaigns may make expenditures of not more than $100 to any person or for a single transaction out of the petty cash fund, but are required to keep a written journal documenting the payments. Any payment over $100 needs to be made by check.
Also, the names and addresses of persons paid an aggregate in excess of $200 in a year are also expected to be reported and receipts maintained.
And the money (also from the New Haven Register story):
The FEC said the committee ultimately made cash payments to 1,003 canvassers in its get-out-the-vote activity totaling $344,496 with at least 600 payments, totally $121,965, exceeding the cash limit of $100 per person.
The committee also paid 534 canvassers amounts that exceeded $200 in the aggregate, ranging from $240 to $1,350, cumulatively totaling $292,430. The payments were not itemized, nor did the committee maintain the required documentation.