Police are looking at whether the MP for Clacton overspent on his campaign – but it’s incredibly hard to make such cases stick.
Articles on Election spending
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The results of last year’s election show how pointless it is to continue raising spending limits.
Federal investigations into irregular election spending can uncover wild stories. Politicians have used campaign money to pay rent, fund family vacations, book hotel rooms for mistresses − and worse.
Long the subject of criticism and complaint, electoral spending laws may finally be made more open and fair as a result of a new review.
Some 44,000 people – about one-hundredth of 1% of the US population – have given $10,000 or more each to this election. So much money from so few donors inevitably distorts the political process.
Canada’s new Elections Act may have prevented the type of mammoth election spending seen in the United States via super-PACs, but it’s been at the expense of public debate.
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Lecturer in Politics, University of Bristol
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Joseph P. Chamberlain Professor of Legislation, Columbia University
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Professor of Law, The University of Queensland
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Associate Professor, Department of International Development Studies, Dalhousie University
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Associate Professor of Political Science, Boise State University
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Associate Professor of Political Science, Boise State University
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Professor of Digital Politics, University of Sheffield