Last week, the Federal Elections Committee voted unanimously to approve the draft opinion submitted by Caroline Gleich, professional athlete and content creator from Park City.
A candidate for U.S. Senate in Utah, Gleich filed a “Request for Advisory Opinion” with the Federal Election Commission on July 11th. This was the final step in the FEC’s official process to seek clarification about campaign finance regulations. Gleich’s campaign said that the decision by the committee today “opens the door for what could be a significant ruling clearing the way for future content creators to run for office.”
As a content creator, a large part of Gleich’s work involves brand sponsorships and promoted content on social media. FEC rules for federal candidates have considered sponsored social media posts that run within 90 days of an election as “coordinated communication” and therefore as in-kind political contributions that would need to be tallied on that candidate’s campaign finance reports, according to The Washington Post.
Gleich’s campaign contends that this severely limits Gleich’s ability “to continue doing her job while she runs for office,” per an email from the campaign.
In the request for advisory opinion, Gleich’s campaign asks that she be able to appear in paid advertisements “so long as the advertisements do not reference any federal candidate, solicit contributions, contain express advocacy, or (promote,
attack, support or oppose) any federal candidate,” the request reads.
It also asks the committee to consider the sponsored posts as “business communications” in order to not have to list them on the campaign finance reports.
“This decision is the final step and a significant milestone. We now have guidance on how existing campaign finance laws apply to modern-day careers,” the campaign email reads.
Gleich’s campaign lauds this move as making running for office more accessible.
“If we want Congress to look more like America, we need to ensure that people of all backgrounds are able to run for federal office,” said Gleich. “As a professional athlete and content creator running for the U.S. Senate, I’ve seen firsthand the way the system favors candidates who are independently wealthy or come from a political dynasty. I am thrilled that our request to the FEC has been passed, paving the way for more people with diverse backgrounds to run for office.”
Gleich, running to become the youngest woman in the U.S. Senate, has raised nearly $400k in Q1 from grassroots donors, her viral launch video earning her a mention in the New York Times’s top ten 2024 Senate races to watch, and with the release of her viral “Dear Dad” advertisement has garnered millions of views on TikTok, Instagram and Twitter.